A police officer on patrol approaches a group of kids playing basketball at the school playground. A conversation ensues and the kids realize that the police aren’t the bad guys they’re made out to be.

A drug dealer meets his client in an out of the way parking lot. They talk a few minutes, negotiate a sale, the client pulls out a $20 bill and hands it to the drug dealer. The dealer holds out a rock of crack cocaine wrapped in a plastic container. A police officer on a bike silently approaches the two criminals and before they even realize he is near, the officer has the two in under arrest. A patrol car is summoned and the two criminals are transported to jail.

These are two real life examples of the effectiveness of a police bicycle program. Police on bikes is nothing new, but with modern technology and equipment it has a new look. One of the advantageous forms of police transportation is the Mountain Bike. Police officers all across the State and the Country are taking to the streets on these all terrain patrol bikes. There is virtually no place that these bikes can’t go.

I am proposing that Mt.Morris, along with several other communities in Genesee County, such as Grand Blanc and Davison, start a police bike patrol program this summer. If the council approves the funding as recommended, we will be able to place a certified officer and a reserve officer on bike patrol during the summer months. This will not replace our normal vehicle patrol and is not a substitute for vehicular patrol. It is an extension of our normal patrol duties.

After completing a 32 hr training program, the officers will be ready to begin their neighborhood patrol duties. The training includes, riding in a variety of traffic and road conditions, performing emergency maneuvers without resulting in injury. Bicycle mechanics and maintenance, traffic laws pertaining to cyclists, and issues of liability are covered. We must remember that police cyclists, unlike recreational bikers, have to ride where they are needed.

In the proposed program, our officers would patrol 40 hrs a week in the neighborhoods and downtown on bikes. When confronted with inclement weather the officers would be able to use a patrol car instead. The officers would be in contact with Central Dispatch with Walkie-Talkies. They will have citation books and be able to take complaints. These officers can answer calls and back-up other officers. If they do make an arrest, our patrol vehicle will be available to transport the prisoner.

 Chief Frederick R. Thorsby