OPD to Hit the Streets with Return of the Bike Patrol
Interest by the OPD patrol staff has brought about a program that was part of the police department over 20 years ago. It’s a bit more modernized, however, as officers on bike patrol will be using new E-bikes Currently the department is in the process of choosing two officers who will attend an International Police Mountain Bike Association course in May. Once they are trained, they will come back and train their partners in proper tactics, bike handling limits, and techniques related to patrol response on a bike.
The primary focus in this program is to emphasize patrol efforts in our downtown area, parks, trails and targeted crime areas. The department also associates benefits of the wellness initiatives that have been implemented with Police Department employees. Even though this is an E-bike, officers will still pedal without any assist or use the full assist if they need to respond to an incident that requires physical exertion by the officer on arrival. The bikes have a 50-mile range on a full charge and can travel up to 30 mph.
The make/model E-Bikes the city purchased are RECON Interceptors. They are an electric assist bike with five different settings. Setting 0 allows the officer to pedal the bike with zero assistance. Setting 5 provides the most battery assist to an officer while pedaling. Why an E-Bike vs. traditional bike? It allows the officers to get a call for service quicker without expending all their energy.