Sonoma76

We have miles and miles of decent Multi-Use Paths and trails called "Paseos" in my city. Really not a bad network.

Anyway, the cops have stepped up enforcement after some incidents. A ****** traveled along one of the paths last year and attacked apartments near it. He was eventually caught, but teens have found the paths late at night to be a good place to smoke weed, and there have been some random, isolated muggings.

So at first the cops simply did what other cops do- they rode bikes and did enforcement that way.

Now though, the city and sheriff's department have bought these po-po scoots! Try not to laugh:



I couldn't help but laugh at the way these things look.

Supposedly they can get up to 25 mph and run on battery power with no emissions. I'm more than a little worried about a cop screaming down a bike path on these things. I appreciate the extra enforcement, but a MUP is non-motorized for a reason.

Why couldn't they just ride their bikes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGhXV....com/index.php

Cadd

They should just ride their scooters. Much faster & easier to maneuver. MUPs are non motorized...but when you're getting your ass beat down or when your son/daughter/gf/wife/mother is getting ***** and they call the cops, do you want them to ride at 12mph to them or do you want them to be able to get to them a little faster?

spaceballs

I have seen them in Dallas on those, too. Wow.

Sonoma76

obviously a fair point...but I remain unswayed.

Cops in my town have been involved in four vehicular accidents in the last two years. In one instance, two deputies in two different cars smashed into each other on the way to a code 3 call.

Just last month, another one hit a power pole and blacked out a neighborhood.

I keep good situational awareness on the MUP and on the road, but these things are really quite fast and take up an entire path lane.

markhr

Are those pimped Segways?

Chromavita

How about hiring cops that can ride a bike faster than 12mph?

surveyor

Boy, that officer on the left looks really enthusiastic...

That is a drop-leg holster on the officer at right. Guess the PD gives its officers a bit more latitude in gear selection...

dobber

How fast can you ride with a fully loaded bike. All day?

Sure, in the perfect idyllic world cops would ride placidly along on bikes. And there would be no crimes.

Cops needs to be a bit faster than the culprit they're chasing.

Lizzylou

A friend of mine does bike patrol over the summer, and part of that involves patroling the township MUP. He love doing it (the bike patrol thing), but when I see his set up, I don't know how it is possible.

First off, he's got himself a full-suspension mountain bike (that gets ridden ONLY on paved surfaces, I guess it's in case he has to chase anybody cross country, or because they just want a bike with that possibility even though they never use it, like Hummer owners). A rack with a trunk full of what I'm sure is very official police equipment. And to top that all off... the bullet proof vest.

How fast can you ride in a bullet-proof vest?

Bat22

Mebbe they would be ok for responding to an incident. From a patrolling standpoint, a
perp could see those things a mile away. They would only muddle up bike traffic as they
trundle along on a narrow path. I guess a loaded down bike cop doesn't have to chase down
a teen on a ten speed. He has something faster, it's called a radio

Guest1209283

Police bikes get ridden down stairs on a fairly regular basis, hence at least front suspension.

politicalgeek

Ours just use the patrol cars on the MUP

no motor?

The one time I called them when on the MUP one of the officers that responded drove down the path in his squad car (the regular Crown Vic). He had no problem doing that, although the way some of the other officers that got there before him and parked off to the side of the path and walked over looked at him when he showed up let him know he was over reacting.

kuan

Those are T3's. They have a runtime of 1.5 hours give or take a few. Our local park district just acquired two of them.

riddei

Here is an AWESOME ARTICLE about a couple of real bike cops in Portland Maine. These guys have one of the best arrest records in the city. They ride 12 months a year through the Maine winter. I've seen them on the streets, and they are great. They show-up at the local co-ops to do flat repair clinics for low income youth development.

Which would you rather have come to your rescue? I think those Segway type of scooters are good for a "visible display" of their presence during parades and such, but for day to day police work... not so practical.

I_bRAD

Dorks!

Wonder where they got the "no emission" energy source to charge their batteries. They got a bunch of guys back at the shop running bicycle powered generators?

jgrendel

Thanks for the link - I've seen those guys around and didn't realize they were on the bikes all year round.

genec

The problem with those police three wheeled things (T3) is that they are too wide. Both people on foot and cyclists are narrower than the T3, thus perps still have the ability to "outrun" the T3 by simply going through narrow areas, such as through fences and between cars. The 1.5 hour run time rather kills "day long patrols."

The speed is a positive, as is the no emission, and they no doubt run quietly.

What your local cops need is a multi-media approach... patrols on bicycle, responses on T3, and probably off road motorcycles. The T3 is probably good for showing presence, and maybe some sort of crowd control... but that 1.5 hour runtime is just terrible.

nycwtorres

On the NYC west side MUP you have cops on scooters and horses. And you have park police (wannabes) in golf carts. They're all pretty good about not getting in the way.. except for the horses, they go side by side and take up a lot of room and often leave steamy piles in the path.

Map tester

A local small college has one of those. I talked with the patrol woman driving it and she really like the T3. It was a replaceable battery pack, and one of the option is a battery with a 75 mile range. It seems like is has a place among other options for patrols. Here is a link the to the T3: https://www.t3motion.com/index1.html

Pscyclepath

Little Rock's bike cops rock... During the Ride of Silence last May, I saw Officer Allen, who was riding sweep with me, accelerate out of the saddle and chase down and ticket an SUV for illegal passing. This on his hardtail Cannondale, with radio, rack trunk, full patrol gear, and body armor.

Kotts

The Columbus PD tested those out by putting each of the bike patrol teams on them for a week's roatation. The officer I spoke to wasn't terribly enthusiastic. He said the speed was good, but the lack of suspension beat him up and tired him out more than riding a bile for the whole shift.

Interestingly enough, our MUPS are patrolled by (I think) Parks & Rec rangers, rather than the PD.

Kotts

Dang! Good for him on a number of levels...

CastIron

Minneapolis has them. Considering the tremendous safety concerns using the LRT and Greenway commuter bikeways, I'd be damn happy to have those (or anything) used to patrol them. Count your blessings.

nycwtorres

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