Bike Patrol
Bike Patrol
Seekonk Police Mountain Bike Patrol
OVERVIEW
The Seekonk Police Mountain Bike Patrol division was established in 1996 to assist in patrolling the highly congested area of Rt. 6 and other areas that are inaccessible to police cruisers. The primary mission of the police mountain bike patrols is to reduce crime and the fear of crime throughout Seekonk by being a visible deterrent to criminal behavior while at the same time forging a unique partnership with residents, businesses, and visitors to Seekonk.
HISTORY
As far back at the late 1800's, police officers in many large cities routinely patrolled their
beats on bicycles. For over thirty years bicycles were the preferred mode of transportation in
most urban departments. The advent of the automobile at the turn of century essentially spelled
the end of the bicycle patrols until 1988 when the Seattle Police Department began to utilize
police mountain bikes to patrol its congested downtown area. Due to the overwhelming success
of the Seattle program, bike patrol programs spread throughout the country. Now, nearly every
local department utilizes the police mountain bike to some degree.
TRAINING
While on the surface riding a bike may seem simple, patrolling on a mountain bike can present some unusual and dangerous situations to the officer. To address these hazards, all ten bike patrol officers in Seekonk have completed a strenuous three day police mountain bike training course known as C.O.B.W.E.B. (Cops On Bikes With Education for Bicyclists). Training classes included sessions in nutrition, injury prevention, avoiding a crash and riding maneuvers. In addition, officers were trained in the use of force and defensive tactics that are unique to a mountain bike officer. Lastly, completion of the program was dependent on each officer completing a demanding off-road and on-road mountain bike obstacle course.
FUNDING
The addition of this unit to the Seekonk Police Department has been accomplished without having to utilize any town funds. A Community Policing Grant program as administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety has provided grant money to purchase the mountain bikes and has also provided the necessary funding to pay for the deployment of the officers. This year, (2001) the Town of Seekonk received a grant award of $22,999 to be used for a variety of community policing programs. Approximately 40% of this award will be directly utilized by the police mountain bike team.
DEPLOYMENT
The police bike patrols are primarily deployed in the area of Rt. 6 to patrol the many shopping plazas throughout this area. Most importantly, the bike patrols are not replacing the patrol cruiser but are in addition to the normal patrol cruisers that work this area. The bike officers generally transport the bikes to the assigned patrol area (mobile deployment) via the police van or through the use of a police cruiser's bike rake. Having a patrol vehicle nearby enables the bike officer to return to the vehicle quickly in the event the officer is needed for other duties. Overall, the bike patrols are deployed during the highest crime period as determined by statistical information compiled through our computer system. In addition, most officers are deployed in teams, although officers patrolling alone is not uncommon.
FUTURE
The spring/summer/fall of 2001 will mark the sixth year for mountain bike patrols in Seekonk. This year, officers will be deployed more often than at any time in the past. The success of this program is due in large part to the early efforts of Officer Colin Barry and the dedication of the trained mountain bike officers. In the spring of 2001, two additional officers will be trained through C.O.B.W.E.B. to increase our bike team to a total of twelve trained officers.
MOUNTAIN BIKE SPECIFICATIONS
BRAND --TREK LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIAL EDITION MOUNTAIN BIKE
PURCHASED THROUGH EAST PROVIDENCE CYCLE.
FRAMESET
SIZES -- 2 BIKES @ 19.5", 1 BIKE @ 21"
MAIN TUBES-- EASTON EA60 PROGRAM ALUMINUM
LUGS -- ALUMINUM ALLOY
STAYS -- EASTON TAPERED ALUMINUM ALLOY
FORK -- TREK SYSTEM 2 BUTTED CRO-MOLY
HEADSET -- TIOGA 1 1/8
DRIVETRAIN
CRANKSET -- SUGINO SG FUSE 500 46/36/26
FRONT DERAILLEUR-- SHIMANO LX
REAR DERAILLEUR -- SHIMANO XT
SHIFT LEVERS -- GRIPSHIFT SRT 400 SERIES
FREEWHEEL -- SHIMANO 11-28 HG50 7 SPEED
CHAIN -- SHIMANO HG90 HYPERGLIDE
WHEELS
HUBSET --STX RC - 36 HOLE
SPOKES --14G STAINLESS
RIMS --MATRIX SINGLE TRACK, 36 HOLE
TIRES --TREK INVERT II, 26 X 2.0
OTHER COMPONENTS
BRAKESET --SHIMANO ALIVIO WITH M-SYSTEM
PEDALS --SYSTEM 1 ATB
HANDLEBARS -- SYSTEM 1
STEM -- SYSTEM 1 HI RISE
SEATPOST -- SYSTEM 1
SADDLE -- GEL ATB
ADD-ONS -- SYSTEM 1 BAR ENDS, 2 WATERBOTTLE BRAZE-ONS, REAR RACK, TOE CLIPS.
Last Updated January 10, 2001