When Mamaroneck, New York, a small suburban community on New York City's doorstep, decided to motorize some of its foot patrolmen, it found that "thinking small" not only saved tax dollars but also had the effect of adding needed manpower to its police department.

The only problems with Mamaroneck's "small thought" have been the looks of surprise and wonder on the faces of some strangers in town. That is because few people are accustomed to seeing Volkswagen "beetles" wearing special domes, emergency light fixtures, and police insignias.

It took a little time, too, for the village "fathers" to adjust to the concept when they advertised for bids for three "compact" cars with which to motorize officers previously assigned to foot patrol duty. These officers regularly check both commercial and industrial areas of the village, including a major state section and dozens of docks along Long Island Sound where a fortune in pleasure boats is tied up.

After all the bids were in, a fleet of three VW sedans proved to be the most economical "buy" for the village and the beetles went into service. Moreover, according to Police Chief Jeremiah Geary, the Beetle-Squad concept has caught on throughout Westchester County since it was initiated by Mamaroneck. "There aren't too many towns and villages in the county that don't have at least one VW in their fleet at the present time," he told AF.

Geary also reports that the purchase has been a happy one because the cars not only give officers greater efficiency in covering their wide-ranging beats, but also increase the frequency of their patrols in all sections and permit them to be called quickly to other parts of town in the event of emergency.

"We couldn't reach them when they were on foot patrol in the past," the Chief said, "and even if we had been able to get in touch with them on a moment's notice they had no way to get to where we needed them."

Now, however, emergency calls are received by the "beetle" drivers just as they are by those officers assigned to standard size cars - by radio. This is done with relatively inexpensive portable equipment which carries the word back and forth from the dispatch office at Police Headquarters to the prowling VWs so that the small cars get their occupants to any place in town within a matter of minutes.