UNLV police now are patrolling the interior portions of campus with a new, non-polluting vehicle ideal for working in spaces for which traditional patrol vehicles often are too large.

Purchased at a cost of $10,000 fully equipped, the new vehicle, produced by Gem Motors, has been in use at UNLV since January.

"I saw this vehicle being demonstrated at a law enforcement conference and thought it would be ideal for patrolling the campus malls and parking lots," said UNLV Police Chief Jose Elique. "The regular patrol cars are just too big for the malls, which were designed for pedestrians rather than cars. This vehicle gives us a patrol unit that is a manageable size in small areas, while still being fully equipped.

"Because it is battery powered, it also has the benefit of being non-polluting," Elique said. "Another plus is that the response from the campus community to the new vehicle has been very positive.

"If this vehicle works out as well as we think it will, we will consider buying a second one soon," he said.