A side effect of the rising price of fuel is that many police departments are adding Bike Patrols or reviving retired ones. Once the wheels are rolling smoothly, these departments are noticing an overwhelming list of advantages that has changed the 1990’Äôs question of “Why?” to the 2008 question of “Why not?”
Police cruisers are fast, able to carry detainees, have radio contact and are comfortably temperature regulated. It was like the invention of the convenient can of corn. But today, people are turning to the healthier fresh smell and taste of corn on the cob. The Police Bike Patrols are a healthy step back in time, offering fresh inviting faces to the community on the street, good exercise, and the ability to stealthily maneuver where no cruiser can go, enabling them to see, smell and sense crimes.
Founded in 1991, the Charleston, W. Virginia Bike Patrol is one of the oldest continuously operating squads in the country. The success of their program has allowed them to triple the number of officers. The downtown area has 50,478 people, but the metro area has an approximate population of 304,000 people.
“We are a full time operation, all year round. The PT scores have proven that the officers are the healthiest in the department,” said Sgt. Chris St. Clair. “We are a bunch of units wrapped into one. We can do patrol, go after drug deals, search for people that have warrants out, and control street crime.” Competition for bike patrol assignments is fierce; recently, nine officers applied for just two available positions on the extremely effective unit.
Two concerns facing communities in 2008 are environmental problems and the dramatically increased fuel costs. Using bicycles is considered both environmentally friendly and energy–efficient. It is also a positive public relations move for police departments, both as a “good citizen” action and when approaching facilities for funds to support the project. Even the Queen of England has gone “green”, deploying guards on bicycles rather than in Range Rovers to patrol the 50,000–acre Balmoral Estate in Scotland.
The Columbus, Neb. Police Department reported that it had spent 71 percent of its 2008 budget for fuel as of July. The police department in Des Moines, Iowa has already spent its entire $40,800, as of September, which was allotted through July 1, 2009.
Departments looking for ways to stretch their fuel budgets while not sacrificing service need look no further. Sheriff Lenny Millholland of Winchester City Sheriffs Office said that two of his deputies started riding bikes in 2005, saving about $700 in a six–week period. With today's higher fuel prices, he estimates the savings at nearly double that figure. Eastborough, Kansas, Mayor Thom Rosenburg expects to recoup the $1300 recently invested in two new bicycles in less than a year, estimating they will save about $1400 in annual fuel cost.
In addition, officers have reported that they enjoy the benefit of combining their job with exercise. This can lower the number of days off and use of health insurance benefits. Most departments report that their officers pedal 20 to 30 miles during an eight to ten hour work day, over a four or five day work week. Kim Mitchell of the Charleston WV Police Department put it best, remarking, “it's built–in exercise.”
There are three areas in particular that the community can be better served by adding a Police Bike Patrol to their department. One is the face–to–face service offered to the public. Second is the bigger bang for the buck. Third is access to areas that have not been well served.
Officers have reported that people come up to them more freely if they are on a bike. Initially they found that people would give them a list of problems, but eventually they started just giving a friendly wave or inviting them to have coffee in their shops. The openness allows for the officer to have extra eyes and ears on the street, which often allows them to use preventative methods or community pressure to eliminate problems.
Being more in tune with their surroundings, officers take on more of a personal community pride and sensitivity. They can tell if a new person looks suspicious or lost, or if traffic or a construction problem is causing unusual or dangerous conditions.
The Bike Patrol can create good community relations. They are approached on the street by tourists asking for directions, adults giving crime tips or children curious about their bikes. Officers can give talks at schools, conduct safety checks, teach hand signals or conduct bike rodeos, where they can take the opportunity to educate the public on safety issues.
Crimes often overlooked like cars not yielding to pedestrians, graffiti, and jaywalking can be more easily addressed. A bike team in Grand Junction, Colo. made 116 arrests in one month. A patrol car to pick up the lawbreaker is just a radio call away.
Riding a bike allows the officer to maneuver more easily than a cruiser could. One officer pulled up to a car and looked down at the driver and asked “Is there a reason why you're not wearing a seatbelt?” While initially shocked, she quickly buckled up.
While not as fast as a car, during emergencies they can use the alleys, sidewalks or other shortcuts, especially when it's rush hour traffic or holiday congestion. The bikes can deal with holiday or family gatherings less conspicuously.
A big advantage of arriving on the scene on a bike is that it is more subtle and less frightening. Officers have said that coming up on people without being heard is often better than arriving in a squad car with a siren going. A suspect is more likely to stand around and get the matter settled. It is reported that they can often come on the scene of a crime and be within 10 to 15 feet of the criminal before they are noticed, making it easier to apprehend them.
By not being directly attached to the car radio calls, officers can do general patrols. Some say they can cover their entire city twice in one day versus the patrol car that often only covers it once at the beginning of the shift, or only after all the important calls have been taken care of.
In order to start off on the right foot, police departments should analyze what they need. A planning committee would be the first step. It is advisable to get a knowledgeable bike expert in the group. They will help figure out if a $600 or $1,500 mountain bike is more appropriate based on the department’Äôs needs. They can prepare a check list with items an officer should have, like helmet, gloves, protective eye gear, rainwear, water bottles, and spare tubes. Part of the budget should include regular maintenance for the bikes.
You will need to decide what kind of uniforms the officers will wear and what equipment they will carry. Often the uniform is modified, such as wearing short pants, but the officers must be easily identifiable. Will they be equipped with guns, medical equipment, radios, etc.?
The next expert on the committee should be a police cyclist instructor. A class should be conducted to cover such skills as riding on multi–lane roadways, braking safely, and performing emergency maneuvers if a car or person suddenly appears in their path. Police need more than a casual bike rider’Äôs ability to ascend and descend curbs, stairs, and other obstacles. Tactics differ when in pursuit of a suspect on a bike, and knowing how to dismount quickly and safely is essential. And, finally, officers must learn how safely conduct arrests and fire their sidearms under unique circumstances. This should be followed by in–field training.
Expert trainers, books and videos can be found at the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), such as the book “The Complete Guide to Public Safety Cycling.” The organization is a good resource for toolkit information, books on public safety, model policies, operational ideas, training tips, uniform advice, and product reviews. They offer certification or training courses. Officers can join the organization for fellowship, networking, and support.
A free packet offered by IPMBA is designed to introduce the department to some of the fundamental aspects of police bike teams: team uses, equipment, funding, and training. It answers frequently asked questions, assists in establishing policies, and guides departments through the maze of starting up a Bike Patrol.
The size of the bike unit depends first on the size of your department and second on your budget. If you come up with a good enough plan, you might be able to procure additional money for expansion of your force or equipment.
First consider the location of the city or jurisdiction you protect. If it is an area with brutal winters or steaming summers, will you only operate the team off season? If it is a rural area, are distances between locations too far to be covered by a bike? If it is a tourist area, some of the patrol person's time will be spent answering tourist questions. Are you prepared to handle the demands on your officers' time? This needs brainstorming.
Next you need to decide how many officers will be on bicycles. Do you have sufficient officers on staff so that you can transfer some to the Bike Patrol? Who gets chosen for the Bike Patrol? Simply being a cyclist is not enough; while cycling experience and physical fitness are important, so is personality, since bike officers face the public daily, and experience. Some departments require that the person be on the force as a beat officer for three years before they can transfer to the Bike Patrol.
The work schedule is the next consideration, with dozens of possibilities. Do you want officers to trade off and bike half a day or half a month? Do they bike all summer long? Do they patrol day and night?
The Toronto, Canada, 51 Division has three shifts of officers who work 10 hour shifts, four days a week. They have approximately 35 bike patrol officers who work three shifts: morning, afternoon and night, averaging five or six officers out on the street per shift, including a three–hour overlap.
Police can get funds for a Bike Patrol that is not in the budget by carefully preparing an appropriate fundraising plan, perhaps one that emphasizes the safety and environmental benefits of Bike Patrols to groups who are looking to donate their safety̵oriented funds wisely and in new ways.
Although federal grants often come to mind first, an increasing number of departments are seeking money locally, and meeting with great success. In one small town, private citizens bought two bikes for their department. Another town approached their Chamber of Commerce for support, pointing out that an officer on a bike could create a town atmosphere of helpfulness and safety. Tiny Tieton, Wash., just one mile square, passed a 3/10ths of one cent law and justice sales tax, whose funds were used to buy bikes, two new patrol cars and bike racks. In Mount Pleasant, SC, the police department sought Town Council approval to apply for a $4,000 Wal–Mart Foundation grant to buy new bicycles. Business owners in Chattanooga, TN, held a Barbecue for Bikes to raise funds for two bikes to patrol a high–crime area in the city.
The Waco Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation donated 10 mountain bikes to five Texas police departments. Even sports teams are getting into the act, with Tampa Bay Devil Rays part–owner Randy Frankel providing the Parsippany Police Department with ten new police bikes.
The Bridgeton, N.J. Police Department was able to get a $12,000 UEZ grant to purchase bikes. The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau invested money for patrol bicycles as part of their effort to increase downtown security.
Special circumstances may call for the purchase of bikes, which end up becoming a permanent part of the department. For the August 2008 Democratic National Convention in downtown Denver, the Denver Police Department spent thousands of dollars on new bikes which were used as part of their crowd control strategy. They plan to continue using the bikes for daily patrols.
Bike patrols are being created and revived not only because they save money, but because they work. For one town, it took a change in management to bring fresh ideas to the department. In 1998, Bridgeton, N.J. had a Bike Patrol, but it was disbanded in 2001. Ptl. Brian McGuigan was a member of the original patrol and saw his opportunity to get it reinstated when a new police chief came on board. In 2008, McGuigan was back on his bike and joined by three other officers on the “well–liked assignment.” They recently added a night time patrol.
“We concentrate on quality of life issues, especially around 2:00 a.m.” said McGuigan. “Like loud noise calls and loitering. It seems to have made an improvement. There's not as many people hanging around or fighting. There's no lack of respect when we show up on our bikes.”
Bike officers in Rutland, VT, have been effective in a recent spate of vandalism, even capturing a graffiti “artist” in the act. Chief Tony Facos stated, “A bike beats a cruiser every time in a downtown call. It is a very expeditious way to move about, especially when chasing someone on foot.” In Johnston, IA, the bike patrols are credited for a decrease in the number of thefts downtown. Since bike patrols were implemented in 2006, thefts reported from January–June have declined from 162 in 2006 to 134 in 2007 and again to 121 in 2008.
For an outstanding example of how bike officers can make a difference in their communities, look no further than Providence, RI, where Officers Francisco Guerra and Ludwig Castro were named “Officers of the Month” for July. They closed a murder just moments after it occurred because of the rapport they had developed with citizens in their patrol area. They believe that if they were not out on their bikes meeting residents and gaining their trust, they may never have solved the murder.
With multiple great reasons for developing a Bike Patrol, from better health to cost savings, and most importantly, effective policing, police departments should be asking, “Why not?”
Kathleen Spring is an award–winning journalist and photojournalist whose home–base is in Colorado. She specializes in profiles and feature stories, as well as historic and self–help articles in newpapers and magazines.