Bike patrol shifts into high gear

By Forrest Adams

As the price of gasoline hovers near $4 per gallon, local law enforcement officials are enjoying the side benefits of bicycle patrols- using less gasoline.

Bike patrolling allows deputies interaction with citizens and provides them with a quicker response than the patrol car in urban settings and at events. It also gives bike patrol officers the advantage of stealth and speed when they are conducting surveillance investigations.

Officers and deputies on bike can even be relocated to remote areas by vehicle and then patrol that area on bike. Some examples of times when a bike patrol could prove more beneficial than a squad car include searching for missing persons, targeting areas where burglaries are on the rise, and assistance to emergency operations like natural disasters and crowd control.

As of July 1, deputies in Chanhassen had the ability to go on bike patrol. The unit has two customized mountain bikes that are equipped with red lights, which are wired to flash, a head lamp, a saddle bag with tools and a ticket book and a rearview mirror. The deputy on patrol is armed with typical gear (firearm, taser, aerosol spray, handcuffs and baton) but a different uniform that might include a polo shirt and shorts.

Sgt. Peter Anderley said a benefit of bike patrol specific to Chanhassen is that deputies on a bike can gain access to the city’s remote trails and pathways, whereas they can’t in the squad car.
The deputies also have greater visibility in the community, which may be a deterrent to crime. Anderley admitted it’s difficult to measure just how much of a deterrent it is, but he noted that early signs may be pointing to the effectiveness of the patrols.

“In the last two weeks, the thefts from vehicles seem to have dropped,” he said.

It’s not mandatory for deputies to patrol on bike, but they could be doing it at any time of the day or night, 24/7. A minimum of two squad cars must be on patrol in the city at any time, day or night, said Anderley.

“We leave it up to the deputies if they want to use the bikes or not,” he added. “The big hope is to be real proactive with it. With a bike, if somebody is committing a criminal activity, they might not see us coming or hear us coming. If you turn a squad car onto a street, you’re pretty visible.”
The program was reinstated in Chanhassen at the request of several deputies, Anderley said.