How a “lightweight” and “highly efficient vehicle” is taking the island by storm.
When the security director for Puerto Rico’s longest-serving bank happened upon the three-wheel electric mobility vehicle known as the Trikke, he immediately saw the light. Now the financial institution is banking on security Trikkes to help things run smoothly for the company that’s been doing business on the island for over 125 years.
“As Banco Popular’s physical footprint increased, the need to patrol more areas increased,” says Héctor Torres Pérez, Vice President and Director of Corporate Security. “Having an efficient patrol vehicle became a major security requirement.”
Enter the Trikke Positron and Trikke Defender, two security Trikkes that keep paying dividends for the company. Pérez says Banco Popular is “very proud and happy to patrol using Trikkes.” He also praises them as “extremely easy (when it comes to learning how to ride) and very enjoyable (as far as the ride itself).”
Banco Popular Puerto Rico is headquartered in San Juan on a stretch commonly known as La Milla de Oro, or the Golden Mile, in the city’s Hato Rey business district. The bank operates under its parent company, Popular, Inc., a financial services conglomerate that first opened its doors in 1893 when the island was still under Spanish administration.
In 2020, Security Director Pérez saw a demonstration of security Trikkes by Albert Rivera, Trikke Tech’s manufacturer sales representative for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands.
The chance meeting was the start of a beautiful business relationship:
“It’s been a great experience,” says Rivera. “Banco Popular’s Security Department is among the top private security services in Puerto Rico. A lot of security companies follow BP.”
For example, says Rivera, “We just sold a couple of Positrons to a company call Capitol Security for the San Patricio Plaza Mall. The relationship we’ve created with Banco Popular helped us close the deal. BP has a lot of credibility and they love their Trikkes.”
So what’s to love about security Trikkes?
Security Director Pérez calls them “a lightweight, highly efficient, and economic vehicle.” And when comparing them to other options on the market, he says the Trikke is a “much better option due to its maneuverability and it being easy to operate and maintain, as far as overall cost per unit.”
But how do Banco Popular’s customers feel about the bank’s new security Trikkes?
“The public is impressed by the vehicle and its innovative features,” says Pérez. It’s a sentiment echoed by Trikke Rep. Rivera when speaking of Puerto Ricans’ overall response to the Trikke.
“The reaction has been just great,” he says. “Clients and potential clients here are realizing how good and reliable Trikkes are for patrolling the inner city, and how good they’ve been for crime prevention.”
Some of Rivera’s other major clients include the municipal police departments of San Juan, Yauco, and Corozal, and San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, where the Positron is slated to be used by the state police. He also notes roughly nine other police jurisdictions having been using the Trikke Patroller since 2015.
“Police officers are extremely motivated once they learn how to use them,” he says. “It allows them to interact with the community in ways they never did before. The Positron is taking police work to another level.”
Rivera says he expects more and more security operations on the island to embrace the three-wheel mobility vehicle. As for the reason, perhaps Banco Popular’s head of security sums it up best, calling security Trikkes “a totally worthwhile investment for serious security programs.”
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Personal electric vehicles: ready for police tasks when a typical police car is not the best option.
Police Trikkes are turning heads and having a positive impact on the community of Wheeling, West Virginia, according to several local media stories.
Currently, two Trikke Positron are roaming the metropolitan area bordering the Ohio River and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, thanks to an anonymous donor.
“Immediately upon trying them, we thought they were really cool,” says Lt. Josh Sanders of the Wheeling Police Department in a story on the Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register website. According to the article, the anonymous donor loved the idea of police Trikkes as much as the officers themselves.
“It’s just another tool in the tool belt,” says Sgt. Rob Safreed in the same article. “They’re very fun to ride, and I think it’ll be a really good tool for community outreach. You’ll be able to get out there in the community more, and people see you more. Plus, they can really extend the range of a typical foot patrol.”
Also in the article, Officer Sanders talks about the impact the Trikkes have already had. “Everybody wants to know what they are. So community engagement is almost instant by just having the ability to stop, have a conversation and have a positive interaction.”
Meanwhile, in a WTRF-TV story about the department’s “fresh new ride,” the same officer Sanders says of the Trikkes: “They’re silent, they can sneak up on folks. They’re fast. It does not take a whole lot of effort like it would a bicycle or foot patrol.”
The Trikkes have already been deployed at several festivals in the area — including the Fourth of July Festival, the Italian Festival, and Waterfront Wednesdays — and the department plans to use them at future local events.
“Usually we’re on foot — but this will give us a quicker response during festivals and those types of larger gatherings,” says Sanders in the Intelligencer story.
Beyond that, he adds in a WTOV news story, the Trikkes can also be helpful in situations that call for special operations.
“Where are the hot spots? Where is there trouble, what type of trouble is that? As part of that operation, we may deploy vehicles like these,” says Sanders. The special operations commander also sings the Trikke’s praises on the Wheeling Police Department Facebook page:
“Already, several residents have seen the positive impact these new Trikkes are having in their area, by just having the ability to stop, have a conversation and have a positive interaction. Being able to make this addition to the Wheeling PD, with a heartfelt thanks to our anonymous donor, will no doubt increase our visibility, response time and enhance our continued efforts on community policing.”
The department also tells its Facebook followers that the Trikkes are personal electric vehicles ready for police tasks when a typical police car is not the best option.
Photos of the Wheeling, West Virginia Police Department Police Trikkes
How America’s cops are embracing this revolutionary electric vehicle.
The Segway is a thing of the past, an artifact of less modern times. In its place, the Trikke Positron is steadfastly becoming the personal electric vehicle of choice for law enforcement officials — from California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit Police, to the Wilmington Police Department in Wilmington, Delaware.
Not only is the three-wheel, battery-powered Positron a great replacement for the lumbering curiosity that was the Segway, “police Trikkes” are proving to be a great multi-purpose tool in their own right, assisting officers in ways the old Segway could’ve only dreamed of.
“There’s no comparison to the other options currently on the market; the Trikkes are miles ahead,” says Officer Mitchel Ashton of the Norfolk PD in Norfolk, Virginia.
It’s a popular sentiment among officers who’ve experienced riding the Positron, built expressly for law enforcement by Trikke Tech, Inc., through its Trikke Professional Mobility division.
“All of my coworkers and the public love the Trikkes,” says Norfolk PD officer Mitchel Ashton (center).
Once makers of the body-powered Trikke carving scooter for consumers, Trikke Tech has evolved to become the U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of rugged, professional-grade, personal electric patrol vehicles — mainly through word of mouth and the appearance of police Trikkes at many a law enforcement trade show.
Turns out, the cambering technology behind the original Trikke, plus the power of an electric battery have turned what was once a recreational alternative to the bike into a revolutionary new mobility solution for police officers on patrol.
“The proprietary, three-wheel cambering system is perfect for efficiently moving around congested areas, public events, and large campuses,” says Gildo Beleski, Trikke Tech’s CEO and chief engineer. “Trikke Positrons are quiet and highly-ergonomic, with high-torque electric motors, heavy-duty construction, and a small footprint, all technologies we’ve developed for law enforcement applications.”
Whether on patrol with the police departments of Atlantic Beach, Florida, Wheeling, West Virginia, or Royal Oak, Michigan, the Positron is an all-weather, multi-terrain vehicle designed for use in a variety of conditions, both indoors and outdoors, says Beleski.
“They can be parked close to any entrance,” he notes, “and their height makes them far superior to bikes in terms of visibility, especially when it comes to looking over traffic, parked cars, fences, and crowds.”
But don’t just take the word of the company’s CEO and inventor of the Trikke. Consider the rave reviews offered by actual police officers, especially for the Positron’s maneuverability.
“I really enjoy using the Positron,” says Lieutenant Brendon Barth of the Atlanta PD’s Video Integration Center. “It has great mobility, speed, handling and visibility. I’m able to ride on the street and go places cars can’t go. It’s perfect around parks and crowds.”
The Trikke Positron is a head-turner and people magnet.
Another unique featuring often cited: the Positron’s ability to promote positive interaction within the communities officers serve and protect.
“Police also say the Trikkes will make them more visible to the campus community,” notes a story by Dallas’ NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. In it, Dallas College Chief of Police Lauretta Hill echoes the idea that Positrons are a public relations plus: “Officers can get around, and people will walk up to us just because they want to know what it is.”
Turns heads. Promotes positive interaction. Provides a more mobile alternative to the extinct Segway. When’s the last time a police department acquisition did all that?
For this Texas-size community college system, electric Trikkes are “ideal for patrolling.”
How do you keep over 100,000 students on seven campuses safe? For the Dallas College Police Department, part of the solution is the Trikke Positron, the top-of-the-line, three-wheel, personal electric vehicle made by Trikke Tech and built expressly for law enforcement.
To aid in patrolling one of the largest community college systems in the Lone Star State, the department added the Positron to its lineup of security vehicles, mainly to help officers move around campus more quickly, according to an article on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. In it, Dallas College officers speak highly of their new tool and its “new technology.”
“It’s really silent, so we can get around the campus without causing too much of a disruption to campus. We’ll also be able to patrol outside of campus,” says Officer Luis Leal in the article.
Additionally, Chief of Police Lauretta Hill comments on how the Trikkes make officers more visible to the campus community: “Officers can get around, and people will walk up to us just because they want to know what it is,” she notes in the article.
The Dallas College Police Department’s fleet of Trikke Positrons are built expressly for law enforcement.
After starting in November 2019 with four Positrons, the department — seeing their benefit — just added six additional units to cover more of the school’s campuses.
To help spread the word about their new patrol vehicles, Dallas College posted a video on its Facebook page introducing the three-wheelers to its community.
“Can your car or bicycle use an elevator?” the video asks while an officer on a Trikke easily rides off an elevator, then down a hallway. The thirty-second clip also features both voice-over and graphics highlighting how Positrons are “ideal for patrolling campuses and keeping them safe,” and how they can “quickly gain access inside buildings and tight areas.”
But perhaps most notably, Dallas College via its video declares: “we are proud for our police to be among the first in the state to use this tool.”
Go here to find out more about the Trikke Positron. Go here to schedule a demo of the Trikke Positron for your law enforcement agency. Go here to learn more about all of Trikke Tech’s professional mobility options.
Trikke Tech, Inc is proud to announce that we are now a GSA Schedule Contract holder, and TRIKKE becomes a preferred source for federal government buyers. This milestone positions the company to earn government contracts by streamlining the ordering process. TRIKKE has achieved a position as the industry’s leading manufacturer of innovative personal electric vehicles for professional patrol applications such as law enforcement, military, and industrial security.
Based in California, Trikke Tech, Inc has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing Trikke Personal Electric Vehicles with its unique proprietary technologies, delivering vehicles with outstanding balance, performance and reliability.
Trikke Tech, Inc maintains a robust R&D program to expand its core vehicle capabilities, working with clients on customized applications, designing and building the vehicles of the future to meet the demanding requirements of professional personal mobility.
TRIKKE’s GSA MAS Contract Number is 47QSMA21D08NY. Federal agencies can utilize our company’s GSA MAS Contract to efficiently procure Trikke Vehicles at pre-negotiated pricing, terms, and conditions. For more information on purchasing Trikke products through the GSA MAS contract, visit the GSA Advantage website or call us at (805) 693-0800.
“We are very pleased to be positioned as a GSA contract holder,” said TRIKKE CEO, Gildo Beleski. “Trikke Personal Electric Vehicles provide enhanced mobility for government agencies and for the modern police force, expanding foot patrol coverage and promoting positive engagement with communities. This award will simplify the ordering process for our clients, saving them time and administrative costs, and providing a quicker turnaround.”
About Trikke Tech, Inc.
Trikke Professional Mobility provides the world’s top-performing personal mobility vehicles that are spearheading the transformation of electric transportation. These multi-terrain, highly customizable vehicles are made in the USA, with specialty designs for efficiently moving around large campuses, congested public areas and events, and tactical patrol. Trikke’s growing domestic and international client list includes police and sheriff departments, colleges, university and medical campuses, state and federal governments, military, Air Force and Navy bases, airports, seaports, and private industry. Each has come to rely on Trikke’s personal mobility vehicles for the utmost in reliability, performance, safety and positive environmental impact. For more information, contact Trikke at (805) 693-0800 or email us at [email protected]. To learn more, visit our website www.trikkemobility.com
Defenders deemed “more versatile than Segways,” preferred over other electric options
The outfit charged with maintaining a vibrant downtown Atlanta, Georgia, has discovered a better way to serve the public: equipping the ambassadors on its Ambassador Force with electric security Trikkes, most recently the Trikke Defender.
The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District is a public-private partnership and nonprofit, charitable organization that strives to create a more livable environment for the area. Clad in red and blue uniforms, its ambassadors serve to enhance the public safety environment by patrolling the streets and common areas, ready to offer friendly and helpful assistance.
“The general public always notices the Defender immediately.”
Additionally, ambassadors monitor downtown surveillance cameras and work with off-duty Atlanta Police officers, who are hired to assist them with their duties and provide selective enforcement. The Ambassador Force also staffs information booths and is tasked with keeping the sidewalks and trash containers clean.
While covering the 220-block district, ambassadors can be seen riding all-terrain public safety bikes, Segways, or – more notably, at least to the public’s eye – three-wheel Trikkes that are part of Trikke Tech’s lineup of electric mobility vehicles designed for professional applications.
After using early-model Trikke Patrollers for a time, the Ambassador Force recently upgraded its fleet with the newer Trikke Defender — a change for the better, according to Ambassador and Field Training Officer Albert Jackson.
“The Defender has expanded our range of operation, allowing us to mobilize more of our workforce to accomplish our mission,” says Jackson. “The transition [from the Patroller] to the Defender gave our riders more confidence and stability.”
When it comes to surveilling the cultural and economic center of a metropolitan area that’s home to more than 6 million people, confidence and stability matter.
Albert Jackson of Atlanta’s Ambassador Force prefers the Trikke Defender over the Segway.
So how exactly does the Trikke Defender help?
“The size and weight allow for a more even and stable ride,” says Jackson. “The Defender also presents a more commanding presence without taking up any more space on the horizon. Plus, the added suspension allows for better control and handling on uneven surfaces.”
As far as comparing security Trikkes to the infamous (and now discontinued) Segway – or other electric vehicles, for that matter — the field training officer is blunt:
“The Defender has proven to be more versatile than the Segway PT, and is preferred by me over other ‘electric’ operations.”
According to Jackson, he’s not the only Atlantan who’s sold:
“My co-workers are drawn more to the Defender than the Patroller, and the general public always notices the Defender immediately.”
So enamored with Trikke’s mobility solutions, was the Ambassador Force, they recently gifted the Atlanta Police Department with a Trikke POSI.TRON, the heavy-duty, top-of-the-line police Trikke.
As expected, the gift was much appreciated.
“I really enjoy using the POSI.TRON,” says Lieutenant Brendon Barth of the Atlanta PD’s Video Integration Center. “It has great mobility, speed, handling and visibility. I’m able to ride on the street and go places cars can’t go. It’s perfect around parks and crowds.”
Lieutenant Thomas Atzert of the Atlanta PD rides the Trikke POSI.TRON.
So what advice does Ambassador Jackson have for other organizations or law enforcement agencies considering security or police Trikkes?
“I would encourage them to compare the Trikke’s electric vehicle technology to any other products on the market,” he says. “I prefer Trikkes for our application and believe others can benefit from them, too.”
The Trikke Defender and POSI.TRON are part of Trikke Tech’s lineup of personal mobility vehicles for commercial and professional use and is expressly designed for patrolling applications related to law enforcement, emergency services, private security, event management and more.
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