NCJ Number
194289
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 25 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 41-45
Date Published
December 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines police bicycle patrols.
Abstract
There are more than 2,000 active police bicycle units in the United States. Other emergency services, including EMS units, are also using bicycles in congested areas. There are numerous benefits to police bike patrols: (1) it is much cheaper to field a bicycle officer than a cruiser-based officer; (2) response time is quicker in urban and congested areas; (3) bicycle patrols are silent and stealthy; (4) bike officers are visible and accessible to the community; and (5) the exercise guarantees that bike officers will be more physically fit. Police bicycle officers should be motivated, fit, proactive, interact well with the community, and have well developed law enforcement skills. Proper training is critical to any bike program. COBWEB (Cops On Bicycles With Education for Bicyclists) is a Massachusetts-based organization devoted to training and educating police bicyclists. COBWEB's 3-day certification course covers many areas, including fitting the bicycle to the officer, various bicycle dismounts, jumping curbs, riding down stairs, and safe approaches to suspicious persons. To meet the unique needs of law enforcement bicycle units, Smith & Wesson has its own frames built to custom specifications, and each bike is outfitted with a set of components optimized for police work.