Any bike patrol cops out there?

[SB]

Are there any LEO's out there who are a) part of a dedicated bike patrol unit b)do bike patrol as part of your patrol duties or c)have a bike patrol unit within your PD?
I'm doing a bit of research and am looking for a few contacts to get some info from.
Ta

[SB]

Should clarify that post, I'm talking about pedal bikes, MTB's etc, not motorbikes (we've got tons of them)

[Urban Jedi]

SB:

I've tried, believe me. We've got them where we are, but no nee naws or blueys. Plus, you are actively discouraged from riding them - health and safety etc etc. I've got a rather funky (

[SB]

Yo, you leavin' us. Better not be or I'll kick yo a**
Been to the IMBA site, but what I need are a few stats and stories, the boss is keen but needs an added push. I guess I need ahhhhh, PI's.
We were part of a trial but they gave the bikes to the Soho Unit!!!!

[Pig]

Soho
I was part of a part-time bike unit at a university police dept. where I worked several years ago. I just started on the bike unit where I work now. I been at my current department 7 years and we have a dedicated 4 officer bike unit. Please e-mail me with any questions or ask away here. I'll give any help I can.
Mike

[diver923]

Indianapolis PD has a full time bike patrol unit, split between the various districts. I'm not sure how many full-timers we have, but I know a ton of us have been to the bike school, and are able to check out bikes for over-time details, etc. What kind of stats do you need; I'll try to get them for you.

[Urban Jedi]

Soho:

You need to get the guvnor to set up a specialised bike patrol unit, a separate team, targetting the c**p in Soho. Try and get him to fund training for 2 officers to go to the states and take an IPMBA instructors course (there are 2 officers in Surrey who did it - i'll try and find the link) and learn about dynamic biking in specific relation to policing, including defensive tactics with bike, suspect pursuits, takedowns etc

Then, get him to advertise vacancies in Notices for the new Central London Bike Patrol Unit, and I'll apply!...........................

[SB]

I'm looking for pretty boring stuff I'm afraid, costs of running a unit, arrest figures, overtime costs etc.
Any stories along the lines of "we made this arrest and it probably wouldn't have happened if we weren't on bikes" etc
Any thing from supervisors or chiefs "Yeah, I love my bike unit because...."
Any thing from the public "we think bikes are a good idea because...."
UJ, you'd be welcome mate, no plain clothes though!!

[Urban Jedi]

Soho:

In all seriousness - speak to the skipper in charge of the bikes at Southwark. There was a piccie on the back of The Job recently - he has some impressive arrest figures for his bike officers, although its not a dedicated unit. Kennington does as well.

There is an issue of the Police Review from summer 1999 which has a fantastic article about implementation of bike patrols in Cologne, Germany.

If you go to Surrey (or it might be Sussex)Polices website, and search on 'mountain bike*' it will point you in the direction of the 2 IPMBA officers who got trained. They run a bike unit and if you can contact them, they will be able to help - they are often in demand from other forces for training etc.


UJ, you'd be welcome mate, no plain clothes though!!

I don't care.

[Babylon]

Also could suggest going to contact the garda in dublin ,eire,theyve got a dedicated bike unit over there last i heard in a part of dublin called tallaght(sort of a hackney equivelent)and Its done very well.
A dedicated bike unit sounds like a great idea all the fun of walking but able to actually to get to things as opposed to hearing the radio and thinking "sh** thats 15 minsaway at least by foot by the time i get there...."
So BEz where you off to then???
As for a view of bike cops i'd like to quote Dennis Leary"You've finished the academy,got all this cool stuff and a uniform...now go ride a bike!!
A bike...im not gona meet any chicks in that...

[jeeper]

Try contacting the University of Wisconsin Police or the Seattle Police. From what i've read they are two of the preeminent forces in US Bike Policiing. UWPD's bike unit was based on the unit Seattle formed a while back. I believe the site for UWPD is linked off of the university's site www.wisc.edu. For Seattle it should be off their city site www.ci.seattle.wa.us. Hope that helps.

[Wonga]

Soho,

Ref Babylon's mention of the Garda's bike team in Tallaght.I don't know what Hackney is like but Tallaght is a large suburb(120,000 pop) with massive housing estates-perfect hunting ground for a bike squad.

Garda's site - www.gov.ie/garda/
-press office e-mail - [email protected]

Wonga

[SB]

Thanks for your replies guys, a bit for me to go on (nice to see so many posts by the Brits!!)