NCJ Number
218300
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 56,58-62,64,65
Date Published
April 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the benefits of police bike patrols and offers suggestions for proper equipment.
Abstract
The many benefits of employing police bike patrols include increased community contact, the ability to patrol areas inaccessible by cars, and the savings in energy resources. Police bike patrols have made a big comeback from the 1880s, when nearly all police patrol units either strolled down the streets or employed bicycles. With the popular emergence of community-oriented policing since the late 1980s, police bike patrols have skyrocketed in popularity led by the Seattle (Washington) Police Department and its innovative idea to use bike patrols as a way to increase police-community contact and to patrol previously inaccessibly areas. In Charlotte, NC, where bike patrols have been used since 1995, police bike patrol officers stick to the same “beat,” which means that the bike patrol officers get to know the people living and working on their beat, including the criminals and those experiencing repeat crime victimization. Maureen Becker, executive director of the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), offers specific advice about the type of equipment bike patrol officers require, including good sturdy mountain bikes, eye protection, helmets, pedal retention (either toe cages, straps across the foot, or clipless pedals), cycling gloves, proper biking uniforms, and possibly high visibility gear. In closing, the author mentions that both the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA) and the IPMBA offer training courses and guidance for police departments interested in setting up a police bike patrol unit.