Advocacy & Safety - Increasing number of bike cops. Here comes the fun.

Are bike cops really as clueless about vehicular cycling as I have been led to believe?
Would more cops on bikes in my city be a good thing for cycling in my city, in general?

This article mentions that they are gonna increase numbers of bike cops in some areas that I ride
on a daily basis... and I'm just a little bit apprehensive.


Police to take different tack
Numbers to rise in downtown Durham

By SAMIHA KHANNA, Staff Writer

DURHAM -- Durham police will soon change the way they fight crime downtown, introducing more officers on bicycles and boosting officer presence during peak hours. The changes come in response to a steady climb in downtown development and entertainment, Durham police Capt. Ron Evans said.

The plan is to move some existing officers from cars to bikes and to change their current schedule to correspond to downtown's busiest times, Evans said. About a month from now, residents can expect to see a boost from the current minimum of two bike officers downtown to six officers during the morning and evening rush hours, the busy lunch hour and weekend nights.

The Police Department has used bike patrols for more than 10 years, largely in the city's public housing complexes and areas of downtown. Bikes bring police closer to the public, Evans said.

"We need to be visible and accessible, and bike and foot patrols are well suited to do that," Evans said.

On a given afternoon in downtown Durham, there are typically two to three officers on bikes and the same number in cars, Evans said. With the changes, officers in cars will continue to drive the downtown area, which stretches along Main Street from Alston Avenue to Rutherford Street. Officers on bikes will concentrate on downtown's hubs, specifically the American Tobacco complex, Ninth Street and Brightleaf Square, Evans said.

The cost of training and equipping the new bike officers is minimal, Evans said.

[edited to end]
From March 29 News and Observer www.newsobserver.com

What are your experiences with bike cops?
Are there any bike cops on these forums?

(as you can tell, our downtown is pretty small)

Never seen a cyclist cop, but plenty of cops on bikes.

I don't understand your concerns. The purpose of bike cops is not necessarily to concentrate on cyclists. Cops are using bikes for the same reason that messengers use them. They can often respond more quickly to incidents than automobile based cops. They are also very visible to the public, like a cop on foot, but with greater potential speed.

Cops on bikes may also increase the public awareness of bicycles as something other than toys and as valid transportation alternatives. In addition, a cop on a bike will see traffic from the cyclist's perspective. All these are positive for cyclists.

I would welcome bike cops in my town.

I guess my concerns are whether it really works, or if it's just a PR thing - not concerned about tickets!

I have this worry that the bike cops are just there to be seen, and will be tooling around on the sidewalks in public areas.

I just don't know what to expect. I've never seen bike cops around here, even though we apparantly have a few.

I'm hoping for the positive effects you mention, supcom, believe me! I'm just naturally skeptical. And pessimistic.

Just thank god they are not tooling around on seques!! The "universal people mover" [except if you live in a rainy/snowy climate and 100% of your city is not paved].

Next time i see a cop on a seque i'm gonna flip him off and take off on a dirt path and watch him fall off from my mirror!

Seques? You mean segway?

yes---

sorry--fast/poor typer and also a musician, thus "segue"--I still hate cops on them, however they are spelled

Cops on bikes are usually exempted by law from many of the vehicle regs that civilian cyclists are required to follow, such as prohibitions on sidewalk riding, etc.

I guess my concerns are whether it really works, or if it's just a PR thing - not tickets for running stopsigns!

I have this worry that the bike cops are just there to be seen, and will be tooling around on the sidewalks in public areas.

I just don't know what to expect. I've never seen bike cops around here, even though we apparantly have a few.

I'm hoping for the positive effects you mention, supcom, believe me! I'm just naturally skeptical. And pessimistic.

The main purpose of the bike cops is not traffic duty. They provide good police presence and mobility in dense urban environments. You generally see them in areas where there are a lot of people walking about enjoying restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, etc. They are also used a lot in areas where police cars cannot easily access like multi-use trails in parks. The bike is just a mobility tool that allows the cop to move quickly without having to park a car and possibly tie up traffic.

It is funny to watch a bike cop try to catch a rider with a road bike with his overloaded MTB. Really funny listening to him explain to his sargent why he had to call a backup motor or crusier unit to catch another bike.

Never seen a cyclist cop, but plenty of cops on bikes.

I got arrested last summer during the pre-RNC CM and the cop who put me through the metal detector was a cyclist. I tried to warn him tha my cleats were gonna set of the detector & he & I talked about cycling in the Bronx in van Cortland park. So there's one, in NYC.

I do see "bike cops" take the sidewalk most of the time, but as one poster mentioned, their purpose is pedestrian-oriented.

One dark morning on my way to work (I was walking from the train station,) a "bike cop" passed by on the road. Problem was, he had no lights.

I approached him as he waited under the lighted canopy of a corner gas station. I started to mention the importance of lights to him (in a very friendly manner, since I love seeing anyone on a bicycle,) when I noticed he, in fact, did have lights mounted.
He told me with a friendly smile, "I have lights, I just don't like to use them."

:eek:

I do hope he knows what he's doing, such a nice young man...

What are your experiences with bike cops?


- - My experience is they really like their bikes and they like to talk about cycling. I would like to see more of bike cops because their presence helps condition the public to seeing the bicycle as a useful transportation vehicle.

He told me with a friendly smile, "I have lights, I just don't like to use them."
Some of the local bike cops told us at a bike club meeting about how they sometimes ride at night without lights so that they can sneak up on suspects. This activity almost always occurs off the road proper (parking lots seem to be a favorite location). The bike cops that I've had a chat with have been, if anything, even less comfortable with the idea of cycling in traffic than most civilians I've talked to.

In general, they are pretty decent bikers. They tend to be sidewalk riders though, with exception to one cop pulling over a car via bike (that had to be the largest demonstration of brass ones I have ever seen, even though the car was going 20mph...point still stands).

Really they aren't supercops or anything like that, they don't target cyclists, they are just regular cops, on a bike. Think horse cops, but without the poo and hooves.

The City of Thousand Oaks ranks either number 1, or is behind Simi Valley, CA as number two, each year, for the safest city in America with a population over 100 thousand. They don't even have their own police force, but contract from Ventura County Sheriffs. They use bike cops in certain areas, and it's a welcome presence. Not because there is crime, but because their presence deters petty crime. Beverly Hills PD also has mounted cops, as does Las Vegas. I think they're a good thing. Wasn't there a terrible TV show about them several years ago? Baywatch on bikes or something?

I saw a bicycle cop last night. For some reason he was watching some car on his side of the street, but as he was watching he aimlessly drifted from the right side of the street to the left side or my right side. Further, he didn't have lights. When I first saw him, I thought, perhaps it is a rent-a-cop. But when I passed him, it did appear that it was a real cop. Maybe they want to be in stealth mode so that they can sneak up on the bad guys. I wouldn't mind seeing more bike cops around here, but it would also be nice if they rode in a somewhat predictable manner. They really don't ride any more recklessly than some other bicycle riders. But I don't remember one incident of a bike cop riding in a lawful/vehicular manner. In the downtown area here, lawful does generally mean vehicular since bikes are prohibited from the sidewalk downtown.

One of the funniest things i've seen was some hessian on a mountain bike, being chased through downtown Huntington Beach by 4 police cars. Full on "high speed pursuit that went on for a good half hour.

The mountain biker must have been amped-up on crystal meth or something.


Back to the trhead: Around here cops on bikes are used for patroling crowds in the tourist areas with heavy foot traffic. They are more mobile than cars, and gan get around quicker than foot patrols. Its generally a good idea.

Bike cops are in better shape than their donut eating counter parts. They also seem to have a more relaxed approach in dealing in situations that require police intervention.

They don't seem to bother cyclists

As others have pointed out they are primarily for pedestrian management, not vehicular, so they go where peds are as peds travel.

They are generally in denser urban enviroments, places where peds gather. They also use them in the Phoenix airport. That actually is funny to me, on a full sus mtb with knobbie tires and a helmet, riding indoors.

Al

Started off in Seattle IIRC. The IPMBA training course is pretty comprehensive. those cities/towns which use properly bike-trained cops find they have a superior arrest rate to car patrols, espec. where local drug dealing goes on.

They also find that people respond better to them than foot or car patrols and are more likely to approach them (US and UK) with info. They're also more efficient at catching local young scallies committing minor crimes/misdemeanours since they can use the short cuts and back alleys, etc. which patrol cars can't.

I've done basic training for one of the local police forces (not IPMBA level) for Community Support Officers in traffic riding and simple bike handling techniques and they agree with the above.

BTW, I think the programme had the word Blue in it.

After I wrote that I didn't remember one incident of bicycle cops riding by road rules, I remembered one incident where they were riding in the street in at a fast rate to some location. I think it was during some of the war protests and there were in sort of a convoy with police cars who had their lights and sirens going. I suppose the bicycle cops were being escorted across downtown to wherever they were needed, and they were moving at a fairly rapid pace. I would think they were in pretty good shape if they were ready to take on rowdy protestors after that ride.

Believe it or not I've recently applied for a position on the Atlanta PD and I dream of being a bike cop. Can you imagine being paid to ride all day?

Just a fun fact.

The first ever speeding ticket for a motor vehicle was handed out by a bike cop in the late 19th century, On lexington ave, New york city. For a whole 12MPH. Bring back those days.

There's also an ex-BMX racer that is now a police officer and he teaches the bike cops in California. His name escapes me right now.

I think cops on bikes is a good thing. All the advantages of cops on bikes have been mentioned - mobility, etc.

In my home town we eventually got 2 cops on bikes just before a bike rodeo my local cycling club was having. Well, we wanted them to show up at the rodeo, ya know, good PR for them and good point to drive home to motorists about the advantage of bicycles.

The big day of the bike rodeo arrives and the police officers show up on their bikes....

.......with their helmets on backwards. Honest injun. No foolin', helmets were on backwards.

Great training guys.

Digger

Ok, Stu Thomsen teaches bike cops, and the TV show was Pacific Blue from 1996. There's your trivia.

I've had a few run-ins with the bike cops in Seattle. Once when I was a messenger and I was waiting at a red light that I would normally run I asked the bike cop waiting next to me if he thought he could catch me if I ran the light, and he asked if I thought I could dodge a bullet. Still cracks me up to think about.

The other time I saw a bike cop tackle a guy he was chasing from the bike. It was harsh as the cop used the bad guy to break his fall. Then before the 'suspect' could even get up the cop pepper sprayed the guy in the face. I guess he was tired of chasing him.

The other time I saw a bike cop tackle a guy he was chasing from the bike. It was harsh as the cop used the bad guy to break his fall. Then before the 'suspect' could even get up the cop pepper sprayed the guy in the face. I guess he was tired of chasing him.

Most cops don't like to wait and see if a suspect is armed, hence they need to be a bit aggressive. If the cop jumped from his bike and tackled the guy, that's pretty hardcore.

Wasn't there a terrible TV show about them several years ago? Baywatch on bikes or something?

My friend loved that show when we were in middle school (we were both biking/ skater punks). I think it was called Pacific Blue.

What are your experiences with bike cops?


I'm friends with a bike cop who is also a cyclist. He is pretty hard core, he regularly rides centuries and has cop shoes with cleats. He got on the news last year when he chased a guy on a motor scooter across town for several miles until he called in a helicopter to nab him.

He told me about catching a bike thief in the act one time and chasing the guy for miles, close enough for the guy to taunt him the whole way. He eventually closed in enough to jump from his bike and tackle the guy. He said, "That crackhead was in better shape than half the force!"

Our bike Police are great, they organize a 'Tour de Rock' race to benefit cancer research. Less polution, quicker downtown reaction times for calls. I see no downside.

http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/whatsnew/sp/sp_sep10_01_2004.htm Some are bike police, some are police that are cyclists. Either way, they are good guys.

I'm friends with a bike cop who is also a cyclist. He is pretty hard core, he regularly rides centuries and has cop shoes with cleats. He got on the news last year when he chased a guy on a motor scooter across town for several miles until he called in a helicopter to nab him.

He told me about catching a bike thief in the act one time and chasing the guy for miles, close enough for the guy to taunt him the whole way. He eventually closed in enough to jump from his bike and tackle the guy. He said, "That crackhead was in better shape than half the force!"

lmao. :D

Funny this thread came up cause even though I've never seen many of em, I saw like 5-6 of them in a 2 block span today strolling around on their mtb with knobbies. What the hell were they thinking, hell I'll offer to redesign their whole force for free.

Funny this thread came up cause even though I've never seen many of em, I saw like 5-6 of them in a 2 block span today strolling around on their mtb with knobbies. What the hell were they thinking, hell I'll offer to redesign their whole force for free.

Ya, if I was a police-cyclist i'd be "Gimme a Lemond and some really nice wheels, I'll catch WAY more crooks." ;)

Our police department has a pretty strict "no-pursuit" policy when it comes to cars. Because of the risks involved in chasing cars in a dense urban setting, officers may not chase cars unless the driver can be charged with a violent felony. I asked my friend whether the policy applies to bicycles; he said the department hasn't made a determination, and he hopes it never does!

Advantage bikes!

Believe it or not I've recently applied for a position on the Atlanta PD and I dream of being a bike cop. Can you imagine being paid to ride all day?

You get to ride all day with a ticket book and a gun.

Are bike cops really as clueless about vehicular cycling as I have been led to believe?
Would more cops on bikes in my city be a good thing for cycling in my city, in general?

This article mentions that they are gonna increase numbers of bike cops in some areas that I ride
on a daily basis... and I'm just a little bit apprehensive.

Hmmm...maybe a wrong approach. Once cops are riding on bikes, seeing their strengths and limitations on the highways and suburban roadways, I think it will help them be more understanding of the challenges which riders face. I might add, that undercover cops on bikes might be an even better idea; then motorists would have to think carefully about the poor treatment they give many riders; they might get ticketed.

To me, the more bikes on the road, the better.

roughstuff

undercover cops on bikes might be an even better idea; then motorists would have to think carefully about the poor treatment they give many riders; they might get ticketed.
This is a good idea that was once discusssed by the local bicycle advisory committee and the police bureau, but I don't think it was ever implemented.

Do they make Burley Police Trailers to haul the perps away in? "Watch your head sir..."

Do they make Burley Police Trailers to haul the perps away in? "Watch your head sir..."

Wouldn't a police tandem be more appropriate? Make the perp start repaying his debt to society right away from the stoker's seat?

Maybe I'll put some POLICE stickers on ours...

Maybe I'll put some POLICE stickers on ours...

http://www.tacticalrifles.net/images/police_bike_large.jpg
http://www.trotwood.org/police/bike.jpg

I'd be less tempted to taunt the bike police if they were riding these.

Well I am a bike cop and I tend to ride on my on time as well as the governments nickle.

I commute to work on my bike as well.

I was certified as a Bike Officer by the Law Enforcement Bicycling Association. www.leba.org The LEBA is a very positive road model for street riding and procedures. The 40 hour class I took was a blast even with the few planned and unplanned spills. Bike Patrol is my favorite duty.

My training and disposition is that bikes are vehicles designed to be riden on the road. My training had 15 to 20 mile rides every day through the city of Orlando as well as the main roads going through the many suburbs. I am leery of the road but it is a healthy fear as it keeps me on my toes.

Due to the needs of the job and the locations where I patrol the sidewalks get a good workout as well as allys and open ground. I would love a nice road bike for long rides but the knobby tired MTB is by far the best choice for the job. I much prefer the comment about you not being able to outrun a Motorola. :) Chasing is a bit of a risk and simply calling you in to a radio car makes more sense. Or try and take that road bike off road and see how fast you are. :(

My job brings me in contact with many cyclists and I get the impression they prefer "one of their own" riding the streets. I do tend to get pissed off at red light runners being cars or bikes and am not averse to writing tickets to both. :eek:

I work for a federal agency and patrol a campus with many buildings, roads and walkways but do not patrol in the city proper. As such my job is a little easier and safer than the city cops. Even so the bike is one of the best methods to get us in the publics view as well as quick response in congested areas.

I wish every Police department in the country was able to field a bike patrol. :)

Or try and take that road bike off road and see how fast you are. :(


Thank god I have a cross bike. :p

Keep up the good work. :)

Well I am a bike cop <snip>

Thanks for the post, FotoTomas.
I'm glad I started this thread. I have learned something, and I am less skeptical now.

They really do need to be all-terrain, visible, and highly mobile.
More cops on bikes in my town, on the sidewalk or not, will be a good thing.

http://www.abc.dotars.gov.au/doc/GNSdec2004/NSW_Bike_Patrol_officer_trainee_going_down_stairs.jpg

I might try to do some research and find out where our guys are gonna be trained.
I realized that I am mainly concerned about the Durham PD, they are notoriously disfunctional.

I might try to do some research and find out where our guys are gonna be trained.
I realized that I am maily concerned about the Durham PD, they are notoriously disfunctional.IPMBA training has been mentioned in this thread previously by atbman. Here's a review of an article about IPMBA's Police Cyclist course.

A good article on the International Police Mountain Bike Association's Police Cyclist course appears in the April 2004 edition of LAW and ORDER magazine. The article goes over why the course is important for bike patrol officers, what type of bicycle is ideal for the training, and the details of the curriculum.

Some quotes:
"Officers learn the legal definition of "bicycle" versus "vehicle" versus "motor vehicle" and why it is important to understand the difference. They are taught how to select in which lane to ride when multiple lanes exist, based on where they want to end up. Does the officer need to turn right, left, or continue straight?"

"...officers are encouraged to become so familiar with effective street cycling that it becomes second nature, allowing them to concentrate on good policing practices."

New information for me included the discussion law-enforcement specific techniques such as maintaining control of one's weapon, and fast dismounts.

The article was written by officer Kathleen Vonk of the Ann Arbor, MI Police.

-Steve Goodridge
Here's information about IPMBA training in North Carolina that was sent to me back in November of 2004
There are ... two ... IPMBA instructors in NC - Jay Neal (Nags Head PD) and George Bowman (Dare County SO). Their contact information is available on the IPMBA website (http://www.ipmba.org/) by entering "NC" in the PCI search box. The next closest PCI's are probably in Richmond, VA (two or three), in case you need to check with them as well. BTW, Officer Bowman is teaching a PCC class next month (http://www.ipmba.org/course-050516-nc.htm)
IPMBA Police Cyclist Course, May 16 - 20, 2005, Manteo, NC
Where : DARE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 962 MARSHALL C. COLLINS DRIVE, MANTEO, NC 27954
Schedule : CLASS STARTS AT 0800 HOURS ON MONDAY THE 16TH OF MAY, ENDS ON FRIDAY 20TH
Instructors : GEORGE H. BOWMAN, DARE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, PCI# 658
Tuition : $0
Registration : GEORGE H. BOWMAN 1-252-475-9178 georgeb@co.dare.nc.us

I realized that I am maily concerned about the Durham PD, they are notoriously disfunctional.You might want to consider going to the Chief and advocating that all Durham PD officers be trained with The Law's for All: The Case for Bicycle Enforcement program materials.

The IPMBA site has an article on the topic (http://www.ipmba.org/newsletter-0206-safety.htm) that was written by the same officer who authored the video & brochure. This program is cited in the Massachusetts Statewide Bicycle Transportation Plan (http://www.massbike.org/bikeways/maplan96.htm) and in San Franciso's Bike Plan (http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=APC%261%270%27657a16fa%27888%40igc.apc.org)

BTW, I live in Cary and have copies of the video & brochure for the program.

The Durham NC police web site is well built but the bike patrol is sadly missing. With the exception of the Housing police and park rangers, cops on bicycles are pretty much ignored.

A simple google search on "Bike Patrol" will provide thousands of choices from the silly to the sincere on the status of cops on bikes in our communities.

The LEBA and the IPMBA are two organizations that excell in getting the bike patrol concept off to a quick start with a solid foundation of the skills needed to be effective as a bike cop.

Just call me "PedalPig" :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/FotoTomas/pedalpig.jpg

The LEBA and the IPMBA are two organizations that excell in getting the bike patrol concept off to a quick start with a solid foundation of the skills needed to be effective as a bike cop.
In case there's a choice between the training provided by those two organizations, here's an opinion that was posted to rec.bicycles.soc:

I don't think that LEBA's training is based on vehicular/Effective(TM) cycling. A local LEBA-trained bike cop told our local cycling club that cycling on sidewalks is safer than cycling on roadways.

Our local police department has also resisted cyclists' attempts to repeal discriminatory local ordinances that required cyclists to use sidewalks where present and stay to the extreme right at all times with no exceptions. Eventually, however, they caved and allowed these ordinances to be repealed - then the police chief drafted a bunch of even worse laws regulating the use of low-speed-motor vehicles and golf cars, requiring drivers of such motor vehicles to operate in an unpredictable "pedestrian on wheels" manner that competent vehicular cyclists know is very dangerous.

Local cycling organizations are now trying to encourage the police department to switch to training through IPMBA. IPMBA makes a big deal about their vehicular cycling content; it is popularly considered the best available for police cyclists.

Steve Goodridge (who has no affiliation with IPMBA)
http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/