why are the scottsdale police providing free police services for this mall???? Original Article Mall patrol: Police weigh using Segways Holly Johnson The Arizona Republic May. 3, 2005 12:00 AM Just when you thought shopping in Scottsdale couldn't be any more pretentious, police may soon be cruising Scottsdale Fashion Square on Segway human transporters. Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell is considering using the gyroscope-controlled scooters to patrol the mall, where thousands of customers a day buy Louis Vuitton bags, Prada kitten heels and Tiffany rings. "He's contemplating using them but hasn't had a lot of time to research exactly how we'd do it or what funds we would use," Scottsdale Police Detective Sam Bailey said. "This is all in the very early stages." advertisement Segways would not be funded with taxpayer dollars, City Manager Jan Dolan said. Segway has lent machines to police departments for testing and evaluation. The lightweight machines respond directly to a rider's movements. Segways travel up to 12 mph. The machines cost upward of $5,000 apiece and would be a first for Fashion Square and its parent company, Westcor, which owns 32 other properties in Arizona. "I think they're great tools. I just don't think people have figured out the best use for them yet," said Bill Whiteside, Westcor vice president for property management. Mall patrons may not hear a Segway coming and the machines cannot climb stairs or escalators, Whiteside said. Segways have also been tested at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Police patrolling the 4.2 million-square-foot mall considered using Segways in 2003 but found them to be unreliable and impractical for high-traffic areas. "We looked at it, but nobody out there (at the mall) wanted us to use them," said Cmdr. Kevin Herman, spokesman for the Bloomington Police Department. Sgt. Jeff Schwiesow supervises the Bloomington Police Department's Mall of America unit and said Segways were more of a hindrance than a help. Officers have to dismount to open doors, and that complicates chasing shoplifters. Once officers apprehend someone, they'd have to leave the Segway while booking the crook, which Schwiesow likened to "leaving your patrol car door open when you go into a call." "If you've got large volumes of people there - it's body to body on the weekends - trying to get a Segway or any type of mobile device through those crowds would be almost impossible," he said. Scottsdale police patrol Fashion Square on an off-duty basis Thursday through Sunday, supplementing Westcor security guards. Officers respond to everything from shoplifting to credit-card fraud or fights, Scottsdale police Detective Peter Salazar said. Police did not have crime statistics for Fashion Square. Scottsdale residents were mixed about using Segways. "I can see the use of Segways in parking lots, but I don't see how they can be used inside because of the ups and downs," Loren Sheck said. Lawrence Kraft thinks "it's horrible idea." "That's a high-traffic area," he said. "It just doesn't make any sense."