Cape police to acquire ATVs for emergency use, events

Cape Girardeau police soon will have another tool to help them respond to natural disasters and manage crowds at public events.

Earlier this week, the Cape Girardeau City Council approved the purchase of two all-terrain vehicles for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

A federal grant will pick up the tab for the ATVs and related equipment -- which cost about $10,500 -- and the $1,600 cost to send two officers to an instructor training program in Georgia, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

The training will qualify Hickey and another officer to train the rest of the department on proper use of the vehicles, he said.

"The course is very, very geared toward emergency response, toward patrolling," he said. "It's not just the regular hunter driving an ATV through the woods. ... The training is geared for what we're going to use the ATVs for."

Hickey said he got the idea to apply for a grant to acquire ATVs after seeing how police used the vehicles in the wake of the EF-5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, in 2011.

With downed trees and debris blocking many streets, officers relied on ATVs to reach residents who needed help, Hickey said.

"We had no way, if there happened to be a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, tornado, any type of flooding, to get to certain areas," he said.

The 400 cc vehicles that Hickey said have a top speed of 45 to 50 mph will be street-legal and will be marked as police vehicles and outfitted with lights and sirens.

In addition to disaster response, the department will use them at public events such as parades and festivals, he said.

The small, nimble vehicles can move through crowded areas much faster than an officer on foot, Hickey said.

"He can utilize the ATV to get through crowds quicker, to get down the street quicker," he said. "... Could be vital seconds."

Hickey hopes to use the vehicles for outreach as well.

"They're four-wheelers. They're fun. They draw attention," he said. "They're a conversation starter. ... [People] can ask questions and talk to the officers."

The vehicles likely will make their debut in late November, Hickey said.

"We're really shooting hard and pushing hard for them to be ready for the parade of lights," he said.

The federal grant that is paying for the vehicles also will cover more than $9,000 toward the cost of 20 locking dual gun racks for officers to use in patrol cars, Hickey said.

The racks will allow officers quicker access to shotguns and rifles, which they currently keep in the trunks of their patrol cars, he said.

"There are instances where just those few seconds can make a difference," Hickey said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO