Dublin business group presents segways to Gardaí

The Gardaí have been presented with two segways to patrol the capital.

The Dublin City Business Association made the presentation "to improve the mobility and visibility of Dublin’s Gardaí and the group said it has the potential to be a "precedent for urban policing in Ireland and will be monitored closely for potential rollout in other cities nationwide".

Police forces and security agencies worldwide are using segways to patrol airports, transit stations, manufacturing facilities, shopping centres and college campuses.

Tom Coffey, CEO of the Dublin Business Association said: "Dublin is one of the safest cities in the world and the DCBA wants to ensure it continues its resurgence in collaboration with the authorities. My hope is that the segways will help to maximise the effectiveness, mobility and visibility of members of An Garda Síochana on the city’s high street.

"Urban policing has to be innovative to keep up with trends in urban planning and development. Today’s presentation is a pilot scheme that could be rolled out in other urban areas in Ireland to maintain the safety of pedestrianised thoroughfares and trading areas within the parameters of available resources."

Assistant Garda Commissioner, John Twomey, thanked the Dublin business community for their donation.

Mr Twomey said: "Segways add another arm to our portfolio in terms of dynamic and effective urban policing by maximising the areas we can monitor that are not typically accessible for other vehicles. We can assure members of the public that these segways will be used in the city centre districts of Dublin 1 and 2."