PINE LAWN — The police department's two new golf carts were rolled out Monday, and they were quickly put to use.
Within the two hours of the carts' debut, the police chief used one to drive through a weeded lot looking for youths seen with guns, sneak up on a suspicious group gathering in the street, and quickly respond to a scene where shots had been fired.
His open-air patrol also led to the first ticket for pants sagging too low – an ordinance passed in November that drew national attention.
"Today, it worked," Police Chief Rickey Collins said of his idea to use the carts to patrol the streets of this small north St. Louis County city.
Golf carts have long been used by officials to patrol festivals or universities, but rarely, if ever, for regular patrol. Three weeks ago, city aldermen unanimously approved spending $5,500 to purchase the carts, which top out at 15 mph.
So each day, two officers will trade their Dodge Chargers for the battery-operated vehicles. The chief believes the carts are safer and more efficient than foot or bike patrols.
"What citizens are telling me is that they don't want guys hanging out on the corners, and they want these kids to pull their britches up," Collins said. "So, we are trying to be innovative in how we can give citizens what they ask for."
The carts reduce fuel costs and are less intimidating, the chief said. He came up with the idea after receiving complaints that too many officers were talking on their cell phones and driving with their windows up.
"We're trying to go back to old-school policing where the citizens and police officers interact," he said.
The chief also feels the carts provide an "element of surprise" since they are smaller and quieter than patrol cars. That seemed to help Monday as he drove up to a group gathering on a street just south of Natural Bridge Road. He was able to get descriptions of two youths before they saw him and ran between homes. Officers were able to catch one and figure out the name of the other after finding a juvenile left sitting in a car on the street.
At that time, the chief also spotted the red, plaid boxers of Ryan Valley, 25, who was walking down the street. Collins called in an officer to give Valley a ticket for his pants sagging too low.
The ordinance calls for fines of up to $100 for those 17 and older who wear pants below the waist and expose underwear or skin. That includes girls whose low-rise jeans are too low. Parents of those 16 and under face up to a $500 fine or 90 days in jail if they knowingly allow their children to wear pants in such a manner. Pine Lawn, a community of about 4,000, passed the ordinance because they wanted to improve the city's image, especially among potential business developers.
After a grace period, officers are cracking down on the ordinance with the start of summer. "The gloves are off with the saggy pants," Collins said. Because of their stealth, the golf carts will help officers catch violators before they can pull up their pants, he added.
Soon after dispersing the group in the street and writing Valley a ticket, officers heard shots fired and ran into the alley, but were unable to find anyone. They suspect the shots were a ploy just to get officers to leave the street.
Doris Trotter, 37, had just pulled up to her home after the shots rang out. She saw the officers pull up in the carts and question neighbors. Such mayhem happens often, she said. She doesn't know if the cart patrols will help, but she hopes so.
"They're trying," Trotter said. "Every little bit helps."
A woman who heard the shots while sitting in her friend's backyard, however, isn't so sure of the carts' effectiveness.
"They didn't help today," said Margere Lee, 58, who was visiting from Jennings. "They aren't scaring anybody out here."
Suspicious group, crime of fashion and gunshots highlight patrol's debut.
