PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - Port Angeles Police Officer Duane Benedict took his new Segway scooter for its first ride on Tuesday.

And many people wanted to take a closer look.

"I would say that just today, the first day that I've used it, I've made more contacts than I would have in a whole week in a car," Benedict said.

The Segway Personal Transporter, which was picked up last Thursday, was a new addition for the downtown officer.

It is a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered scooter.

The Segway, which was about $6,500, was funded completely by donations, Benedict said.

About 30 people and organizations contributed to the purchase.

They had seen it in action this summer when the police department borrowed a Segway free of charge from SK Northwest in Portland, Ore.

Complete with a siren and small police light, the Segway can travel about 12 mph and can be used on city sidewalks.

It uses two ion lithium batteries, which recharge overnight.

"We thought about getting a bike, but that takes a lot of extra training and I wouldn't be able to use it on the sidewalk," Benedict said.

The Segway is intended to help him cover more ground while patrolling and also make more contact with people downtown, he said.

"I can cover all the way from Francis Street to the Red Lion in about three minutes," Benedict said.

"But (Tuesday) when I did that, I got stopped by people a few times who wanted to talk."

The novelty - as well as the time on the streets - impacts the number of contacts, he said.

"People see it and they want to ask about the Segway, so it is a talking point," he said.

"But also, in a car, they just don't think to talk to you as much, whereas on here, they'll see me go by and call me over to talk.

The two-week tryout this summer, which ended on the Fourth of July weekend, was to determine if a Segway would be useful in Port Angeles' downtown.

Benedict was impressed with the machine, and the fundraising efforts were kicked off.

Sterling Epps, former Port Angeles deputy chief; Alan Barnard, Remax Reality broker; and Benedict spoke to service groups about the Segway.

The Port Angeles Downtown Association set up an account at First Federal for donations.

It can go about 24 miles, "depending on how hard I push it," Benedict said. On Tuesday, he put about seven miles on the Segway.

He expects to average about 11 a day, as he did during the trial run.

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Information from: Peninsula Daily News, www.peninsuladailynews.com