10 Advantages of Bicycle Patrols
Improved community relations, cost savings, faster officer response times and environmental benefits are just some of the reasons campuses are putting their public safety officers on bikes.
1. Bikes are less threatening than patrol vehicles: The novelty of a police officer on a bike is often enough to start overcoming the negative perceptions that some members of a culturally diverse campus population have about law enforcement.
Unlike patrol vehicles, which often reinforce these perceptions, bicycle patrols give an opportunity for a new impression (Menton, 2007). Most of the negative attributes associated with vehicle patrol officers – flashing lights, double parking and a noticeable wait time between arriving on scene and attending to the issue – are not associated with bicycle officers. As a result, those who come in contact with bike officers may be more cooperative and willing to listen.
2. Other bicyclists are more accepting of bike patrol officers: Cyclists can connect with bicycle officers on different levels than vehicle patrol officers. They may be more receptive to education and/or enforcement efforts related to cycling behavior and more apt to follow advice on how to prevent bike theft. These individuals might develop a camaraderie with bike patrol officers that would not occur with law enforcement personnel riding in their cars. This camaraderie is important to community-oriented policing.
3. Bicycle patrols result in more than twice as many contacts with the public than vehicle patrols (Menton, 2007): Students, faculty and staff are more likely to talk about legal matters, directions, parking information, or ask for information from a campus bicycle patrol officer. These positive contacts help counter stereotypes of police officers as “out to get you” and reinforce efforts to establish relationships of trust between the community and the department.
4. Bicycle police/security uniforms help officers to quickly transition from their traditional law enforcement duties to more service oriented work: There is no doubt that the dressed down yet authoritative appearance of a bicycle officer’s shorts and shirt provides a campus constituent with a different, less threatening experience. Agencies can opt for the traditional “Class A” style or a more relaxed golf-style shirt depending on their desired image.
5. Perpetrators don’t notice bike patrols: Individuals who break the law normally are not looking for bicycle officers. They are concerned with marked and unmarked squad cars (Kariya, 2004). Any bicycle patrol officer will relate story after story of riding up to crimes in progress, unnoticed or unrecognized by the perpetrators until the very last moment.
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