CLERMONT, Fla. – As the world becomes more technologically advanced, the Clermont Police Department is following in lockstep.
The department is implementing a few new gadgets, and they shared it exclusively with News 6’s Amy Russo.
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“We have juveniles riding on the trails in excessive speed,” that’s what Chief John Graczyk had to say when talking about electric bikes, or e-bikes.
The bikes are becoming a more common way to get around town and they’re also sparking concern. That’s why the Clermont Police Department is rolling out a brand-new program where officers will actually ride e-bikes while patrolling trails in the city where reckless usage has been reported.
The department’s e-bikes look a little different though. They have lights, a siren, all terrain tires and can go as fast as 28mph.
News 6’s Amy Russo gave one a spin. “It’s definitely really easy to see how people can go too fast on the trails on this - you don’t have to use any power to go quick,” she said.
The chief says this also provides an educational aspect for e-bike riders. They’ll see the officers riding with their helmets - the idea is to follow by example.
The police department has also implemented indoor drones, which can be used to assist in building clearings.
“What used to take three officers - now we can go in utilizing the drone to clear the building and clear the building safely,” said Chief Graczyk.
Virtual reality is another way officers are utilizing their resources.
All officers are now required to train on the headset which simulates real life scenarios - giving officers the chance to make a decision on what they should do.
“The system reacts to your actions which is important – it’s much more realistic than some of the older simulator trainings," said Lt. Daniel Moser.
“What we are doing here is cutting edge police and fire training,” said Deputy City Manager Dan Matthys.