Prospect Heights' new crime-fighting vehicle no ordinary golf cart

When a police squad car comes around a corner during a patrol, people who don't want to be seen tend to scatter.

But if police had a smaller, quieter and less intimidating vehicle at their disposal, they might get a different result.

That's the intent behind a pilot program that has Prospect Heights Police Department buying a $13,500 battery-operated ATV that's similar to a golf cart, for use primarily in high-crime parts of the city.

Police Chief Jamie Dunne said police regularly deploy patrols in marked and unmarked squad cars to raise visibility in parts of community that have a history of gang issues.

However, he said, the typical police car can serve as a barrier between officers and community members.

Enter the Star EV Diablo 2+2, which looks like a slightly larger version of a golf cart, but built for more speed and durability.

Dunne said the vehicle will play numerous roles for the department but will be deployed primarily on the east side of the city, in areas between Palatine Road and Milwaukee Avenue, including the Chicago Executive Airport, Palwaukee Plaza and neighboring apartment complexes.

"We want people to be comfortable to step outside of their homes, visit their neighbors and walk outside without fear of being approached by gang members," he said.

The department hopes to build upon the success it's had with the installation of surveillance cameras in 2013 within the Piper Lane neighborhood near the airport. Since then, reported crime in the neighborhood dropped 70 to 80 percent, Dunne said.

"In the last couple of years, the community has enjoyed a regularly gang-free environment, and now the challenge is to maintain that environment," he said.

The new vehicle can reach up to 25 miles per hour, runs for 50 hours on a single charge and will be licensed for use on the road.

Dunne said many departments began bike patrols to break down the barriers that squad cars can present, but he believes the golf EV Diablo will do the same while being more efficient, allowing officers to move from point A to point B quickly while preventing risk of fatigue and injury.

The vehicle also will be seen at schools, community events and during extra patrols on weekends. Dunne hopes William Caponigro, the department's school resource officer, will be able to use the vehicle as a conversation starter and icebreaker with younger kids.

Dunne said he has not seen other police departments in the area using similar vehicles but knows they're deployed by departments elsewhere in the country, such as the Miami-Dade City Police Department in Florida and Pine Lawns Police Department in Missouri.

Alvaro Zabaleta, spokesman for the Miami-Dade department, said they use the carts in their Special Events Unit, specifically at places that draw large crowds, such as football stadiums or the airport.

"It's more used in controlled environments where vehicles don't really fit but we need to get around relatively easy," he said.

Prospect Heights' City Council approved purchasing the vehicle May 26. It's expected to hit the streets within four to six weeks.