KKTV | MArch 23, 2010
By Marybeth Brush

Making our community safer; that's the goal of a new partnership starting today with a local business and Colorado Springs police. The drivers of Yellow Cabs will now be an extra set of roving eyes and ears to help police catch criminals.

One of those drivers is Andy Michopoulos. A Yellow Cab has been his office for three years. But now he will be doing double duty in an effort to help keep our city safe. "As a driver who's out at all times of night and all over the city, you see things going on and to have a direct way of reporting that to the police is definitely a plus," says Michopoulos.

 "Just like our squad cars they have 2-way radios, they have cell phones and they have mobile data terminals," says Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers. He feels this is a win-win situation for our community. "So by just increasing their awareness a little bit on how to watch the unusual, how to identify things that could be criminal activity in progress, it's just a short stretch to get them to take the extra time to pick up the mic and call dispatch," says Chief Myers.

"I'm very excited about it. Anytime a company or individual can do anything to help the security of community, it's a good thing," says Michopoulos.

All the Yellow Cab cars will have a decal on them letting everyone know they are part of the COP program. COP stands for “Cabs On Patrol.” As an extra incentive, the Yellow Cab company is also making some cash awards available for cabbies who report crimes.