Alcoa Police Department's new patrol vehicle goes virtually anywhere

Alcoa Police Department has a new and unusual patrol car, a vehicle Chief Wayne Chodak calls a real GEM.

The GEM was produced by Global Electric Motorcars, a Daimler-Chrysler Company, and is an all-electric vehicle engineered to meet federal safety requirements for street-legal operation. Chodak said it's the perfect vehicle for a variety of uses, especially patrol of the Greenway.

Smaller than other patrol cars, it is the perfect size for use on the trail. The silent-running electric engine makes its use less disruptive for trail users and for the wildlife along the trail.

The GEM runs on a 72-volt General Electric motor with a six-pack of deep cycle 12-volt batteries.

The battery pack is equipped with an onboard charger that plugs into any standard 110-volt outlet and will fully recharge overnight. The battery system is also designed for ``opportunity'' recharging, such as a 30-minute boost during a meal break.

The car has a range of about 30 miles when fully charged.

Cost of the environmentally friendly fuel -- electricity -- depends on the cost per kilowatt hour, but Chodak said he ``can guarantee it's a lot cheaper than gasoline.''

Although the car costs more to use than bicycles, it offers the advantage of traveling faster than a bike.

``With bike patrols, an officer who got a call elsewhere has to ride back to his patrol car, load the bike, then answer the call,'' Chodak said. ``Since the GEM is approved for street use in low-speed areas, officers on trail patrol can leave the trail and go straight to the call.''

A four-passenger model with a lockable rear pack and hard doors was chosen for Greenway patrol. Two passenger models are also available with either hard or soft doors.

The doors can be removed for warm weather use but will keep officers comfortable in cold weather with a heater and windshield defroster. The car is also equipped with such things as a safety glass windshield, seat belts, headlights, taillights, high-mounted brake lights, and turn signals.

The GEM costs $9,000 and was purchased with money from the drug fund, cash confiscated in drug arrests or proceeds from the sale of vehicles or other property of those convicted of drug crimes.

Officers picked up the car at a dealership in Lawrenceville, Ga., and it has been painted to match other Alcoa police cruisers. An orange light has been installed as has radio equipment similar to that in standard cruisers. Blue strobe lights have been ordered for the dashboard and rear window.

Since the car arrived, officers have been getting in time behind the wheel in the parking lot at the Alcoa Safety Building. The company provided a video explaining the car's features and offering instruction for its operation. Soon, all officers will be trained to operate the GEM and it will be put to work on the Greenway.

Meanwhile, Chodak is coming up with uses for the GEM other than trail patrol.

``Well, it will be just the thing for Cool Summer Nights (an event held by the city at Springbrook Corporate Center each year) and FreedomFest (the city's annual Fourth of July celebration),'' Chodak said.

``Since its silent, it can also be used for patrol in residential areas and for drug enforcement since drug dealers won't be able to hear us coming.''