This has been bugging me since I was a kid. I mean there are no dirt tracks or hills around, the most I can see them do is go from street to sidewalk to chase someone on foot.
2007-07-05 06:54:27 · 6 answers · asked by Krukster 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I do understand their usefulness at parks and beaches and such but I still see them running far away from the lakefront.
2007-07-05 07:09:30 · update #1
They have been modified and really would not do well on hills and dirt tracks.
Chicago continues to look for a cheap replacement of the 3 wheeled motorcycle. The 1950's era Harley 3 wheelers lasted until the late 70's. They tried replacing them with custom Honda 3 wheelers but they turned out to be very dangerous. They tried to use (and still do use) Cushman cabs but they don't maneuver or have enough speed when needed. They use ATVs now but they really don;t work that well.
You need a good stable and maneuverable platform for patrol that cannot be done with a car or on foot. For cost reasons the machine must be multi use. Bicycles are great, I patrol on one in the summer, but are not fast enough when you are needed far away, they are also not that stable.
ATVs and 3 wheelers are mostly used as supplemental traffic (parking ticket enforcement which gets traffic moving better), park and lakefront patrol, anyplace there are a lot of people and a little bit of space.
2007-07-05 07:10:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chicago has some sort of festival, or attraction almost every week in nice weather. These ATVs are used in parade control and because they can get around crowded/blocked streets. Plus it can get officers to a situation alot faster than walking and probably sooner than a squad car.
We use these in a number of annual festivals in our small town and were about 55 miles from Chicago. Our EMTs use these during our festivals also for immediate response.
2007-07-06 02:00:30 · answer #2 · answered by Ret. Sgt. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cant exactly ride a bike on the sand- or at least not well enough to chase a criminal
Chicago is a coastal city
2007-07-05 14:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is an efficient method to get around, you do have Lake Michigan beaches, and parks.
2007-07-05 13:58:18 · answer #4 · answered by Michael H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason Cops wear military-style riot gear: they want to intimidate people.
2007-07-05 14:09:50 · answer #5 · answered by Steve C 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Too lazy to pedal a bike?
2007-07-05 14:02:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋