UNM police and security officers are banking on a $30,000 investment they hope will help them to better patrol and secure the campus.
The cars, Chrysler Gems, are powered entirely by 72-volt electric motors that can travel as far as 40 miles on a single charge and can go as fast as 25 miles per hour.
The cars will be used by UNM security, which is responsible for locking and opening campus buildings and offering escorts to pedestrians. University police, whose budget paid for the cars, is considering allowing Student Patrol to use one of them on a semi-regular basis.
UNM Police Department Cmdr. James Daniels said it has been his mission to have the cars at UNM to help patrol the campus interior and increase the presence of security officers.
"I think it gives us a higher visibility around campus," Daniels said.
At a cost of about $12,000 apiece, the three Gem cars are built on an aluminum frame with seating for four, seat belts, halogen headlights and a sunroof.
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"My job was to get the best deal for the money, and I think I did," Daniels said.
When Daniels ordered them, he opted to get heaters, hard doors, an extended-life battery and emergency amber lights. The cars were fitted with UNM security decals earlier this week.
Daniels said he expects the cars to be up and running, at all times of the day and night, sometime in January.
Rosemary Melendrez, supervisor of UNM Security, said the Gem cars would give her officers an opportunity to stay in better contact with areas of campus that before were harder to access.
"We're kind of excited about them," Melendrez said. "I can't wait to try."
In addition to patrolling, the cars will be used to give students escorts around campus after dark. Melendrez said the electric cars would make it easier for her officers to travel across campus - something that is essential when property and people could be at risk.
About three security guards work each shift and with 16 to 20 calls for assistance every night, the added transportation will be welcome, Melendrez said.
Melendrez said it is likely two shift guards will use the Gem cars to patrol campus while the other guard will use a normal car.
The cars are powered by electricity and produce no emissions. They qualify as alternative fuel vehicles and meet the 2002 State Legislature's Alternative Fuels Conversion Act, which stipulates that at least 75 percent of UNM's light-duty vehicles be powered by alternative fuels.
