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Anacortes Police - Bicycle Patrol |
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Anacortes Police Department has had an active Bicycle Patrol program since 1994. Putting police officers on bicycles is actually a very old idea that has made a strong come back in the past decade. Bike patrol was started by the New York Police Department over 100 years ago in an attempt to find a less expensive alternative to the mounted horse patrol. Bicycles were less expensive than vehicles and did not have the high maintenance cost of horses. Eventually these patrols were replaced with motorized vehicles. Over the past decades, the use of Bike Patrols has seen a phenomenal resurgence because of the increased effectiveness for their use in highly populated areas. The Seattle Police Department was the first on the West Coast to implement a Bike Patrol and their program is now considered a model for modern Bike Patrol programs.
Putting a police officer on a bicycle has many advantages. It makes the officer more approachable to the public without the car doors and windows forming a barrier between the officer and citizen, allowing for more informal interactions. This approachability augments the Anacortes Police Department’s commitment to community policing, working in partnership with the community we serve. The bicycle also attracts children to Officers, which creates a learning situation for safe riding discussions.
A bicycle also has access to areas that a car cannot go, such as trails, side yards and some alleys. This broadens our patrol abilities, especially when it comes to pursuing suspects who are on foot. A bicycle is also less obtrusive and more low-key than a patrol car. It allows the officer to approach a situation without being observed and without as great an interruption in “normal” activity than driving a car into the area. The bike Officers also actively patrol Anacortes parks and forest lands, areas previously inaccessible to patrol Officers.
To be qualified for the bike team, an Officer must attend an intensive four-day training. During this training the Officer is taught advanced riding skills, defensive and offensive riding strategies and general bike maintenance. The eight Officers currently assigned to the bike team come from all divisions of the department. We currently maintain three specially equipped Trek patrol bikes and usually work in teams of two.
The Bicycle Patrol also works with the Crime Prevention Unit in presenting Bike Safety Education. Either in presentation format or an organized Bike Safety Rodeo, reinforce safety skills, encourage children (and parents) to ALWAYS wear a helmet (you won’t see us without ours!!!) and teach proper bike maintenance. If you are interested in a presentation or in organizing a bike rodeo, contact Crime Prevention/School Resource Officer E. F. Nordmark at 360-293-4684.
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