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In June of 1999, the Covington Police Department in cooperation with other local agencies hosted a International Police Mountain Bike Course at the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. This course marked the beginning of the Police Mountain Bike patrol in the City of Covington. New officers assigned to the bicycle patrol are required to complete a 40-hour bicycle training course. Officers are taught bicycle safety, maintenance, riding techniques, suspect approach, tactical dismounts and obstacle negotiation along with numerous other bicycle riding techniques. Officers assigned to the bicycle patrol use Trek Mountain Bikes specially designed for Police Mountain bike patrolling. Officers use bikes to conduct patrol, work special events and participate in bicycle safety demonstrations for schools and civic organizations. Bicycle patrols have emerged as an effective way to patrol our residential and business communities. It allows officers to cover more ground and at the same time provides less of a barrier than a vehicle. The bicycle patrol also assist in improving community relations because of the close contact that bicycle officers have with the public. In addition, the bicycles allow officers to get into areas normally not easily accessible by patrol vehicles and allows officers "sneak-up" on offenders that they normally would not have access to.
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Officer Derek Fridley is shown with one of the department's Trek Police Mountain bikes used by the bicycle patrol. The bicycle patrol officer is more approachable than an officer in a car and the public feels that officers are more accessible. |
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