Auburn Police Department patrol in unique style

Daniel Chesser-The Auburn Villager Officer Myron Thornton has been with the Auburn Police Department since 1998. He patrols on the T3 (pictured) and a bicycle.

Auburn Police Department has some tools in the arsenal when it comes to mobility in hard-to-navigate areas such as the University's campus.

At any given time there are four officers patrolling the grounds between College Street and Shug Jordan Parkway. Two of them may be on Trek 4500 mountain bikes or T3 Series electric standup vehicles (ESV).

"On campus there are a lot of pedestrian-only areas that you can't patrol effectively with a black and white," said Officer Justin Hanners, APD for six years. "We can go where a car can't.

"We are more accessible to the public, and we have a stealth element; we can fit in between buildings and cars."

There are eight total officers who work in shifts of four with two working at night (5 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and two working the day (5 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

These officers will work four days straight then have four days off and are the first on the scene regarding any campus related incident, such as theft and traffic accidents, as well as assisting any calls that come over the police radio.

The public relations side of the job is what Hanners said he enjoys most about bicycle patrol.

"I like being out among the people while getting exercise," Hannners said. "It is a different kind of detail; we are talking to students, deans and citizens instead of being in a bubble on the road passing by.

"It was something we were asked if we wanted to train for, and I was interested because I had friends that were bike officers and they all seemed to love it."

The ESVs draw more attention than a bike does, and they have an added advantage.

"The T3 (ESV) is a three-wheeler with a raised platform almost like being mounted on a horse," said Officer Myron Thornton. "I can see above the crowd, and the main thing is that it is a conversation piece, an icebreaker."

APD obtained its three EVS five years ago.

"(ESV) has red and blue lights along with a siren, and the speed is governed to 12 mph; that is plenty fast," Thornton said. "It will throw you like a horse if you don't lean into it the right way because you're top-heavy."

The weather plays a role in which mode of transportation the officers will choose on a day-to-day basis, whether it is by car, bike or ESV.

"If it is 50 below zero, snowing and raining, of course we're not going to be on bicycles," Thornton said. "We would be in our patrol unit assigned to us— a black and white—but on a nice day we are on bikes."

Thornton, who has been with APD since 1998, is also trained to ride an ESV.

"We are a specialized attached unit to the department," Thornton said. "The Christmas parade we had in December there were four of us on bikes and T3s, and we could get within the parade to protect and serve the public while being readily available if something happens right there.

"A parade route will be closed down and a black and white wouldn't be able to get in there, but I am right there on top of it rendering aide in less than a minute."

The officers are equipped with the basic gear, including handcuffs, a flashlight and a 9mm sidearm.

During football games on Saturdays in the fall, all eight specialized officers and a few off-duty officers are on duty with their bikes and ESVs to patrol the extra 100,000 people in town.

"We have a number of different platforms of which to patrol," said APD Captain Tom Stofer. "Everyone of those platforms serves a different function and has capabilities another platform might not have.

"There are folks out there that are coming up with new technologies every day, and we want to be able to tap into that new technology in a university-city setting."