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They get officers closer to the public and the crooks
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
On an overcast afternoon, eight police officers on bicycles dodged raindrops and obstacles on a course in the parking lot of the Stow Safety Building.
They were practicing their skills before hitting the streets this month as the Stow Police Bicycle Patrol.
Disbanded several years ago, the patrol has been reformed this year.
''You can be covert, stealthy and catch things in the act,'' said Stow police officer Justin Smith, 27. ''And you can deter [crime] at the same time.''
Across the Akron area, a growing corps of bicycle cops is cruising retail and residential neighborhoods, looking to stop crime.
Cuyahoga Falls Police Sgt. Chad Johnson said the bike patrol in that city is being stepped up from just special events.
''The mayor has put out a request to have it revived,'' he said, saying that such a patrol gives officers a proximity to the public.
''You can get in a lot of areas in a bicycle you can't with a car,'' Johnson said. '' . . . You can sneak up in certain areas where you are having problems.''
Summit County sheriff's Sgt. Harold Britt said the cost of gasoline — it could hit $4 a gallon this summer — is another reason law enforcement likes having officers on bikes, at least some of the time.
''It helps save on gas prices,'' he
said.
Deputies on bikes occasionally cruise parts of the suburban communities the sheriff covers, including Green and Coventry Township, Britt said.
Stealth patrol
A deputy on a bike can look around at a slower pace and may ''notice more open doors and open windows,'' Britt said.
''A lot of times, we can go places that cars can't go.''
Copley Township Police Sgt. Jack Simone stressed the great public-relations aspect to bike patrols.
''The residents love it,'' he said.
In Copley, officers on the bike patrol will spend part of their shifts relying on pedal power.
''We ride them at night in the summer,'' Simone said. ''We are able to roll up on people very quiet.''
He said there have been instances in Copley when officers were able to sneak up on people as they were breaking into cars.
In Portage County's fast-growing Brimfield Township, Police Chief David Blough hopes to have some officers trained soon to patrol on bicycles — possibly by June.
He said he anticipates the bike patrol would cruise the new retail area on Tallmadge Road.
Positive response
Hudson Lt. Sean McAleese, supervisor of that city's bike force, said those officers focus primarily on downtown, but also hit parks, hiking areas, playgrounds and neighborhoods.
''We get positive feedback whenever we are on the bikes,'' McAleese said, adding that children always want to chat with the officers.
A key benefit to a bike patrol, he said, is what an officer can observe while rolling through a neighborhood.
''It is amazing what you can hear when you are on a bike and there are no car sounds,'' McAleese said.
In Akron, 60 to 70 officers are certified to patrol on bikes, said Kevin Williams, a bicyclist and community policing officer.
Though the city has not had a designated regular bike patrol since 2001, Williams said, ''we use bikes in problem areas for special events.''
The Barberton bike patrol is used for special events only, like the city's annual Mum Fest in September.
''I would love to do more with it,'' Chief Michael Kallai said.
But the problem the department encountered, he said, is that an officer would park his cruiser, get out on a bike, and then within minutes, get a call to go to the other side of town. The office would have to put the bike back on the cruiser and drive to the call.
''It's not fair to officers to get them on bikes, meeting and greeting the people for five minutes, and then tell them you have a call on the other side of the city and you have to get out and go,'' Kallai said.
Traffic enforcement
At the University of Akron, 18 of the 34 members of the campus police force spend time in the warmer months patrolling on bicycles, Sgt. Chad Cunningham said.
Once, when Cunningham was on his bike on Exchange Street, he noticed a Firebird convertible swerving and saw an open container in the front seat. At a stop light, Cunningham pulled the car over and eventually made an arrest.
''Your bike cop can pull over a muscle car,'' he said.
Stow Police Chief Louis Dirker Jr. said there are many good reasons to have officers on bikes from time to time.
He said trained officers can ''ride these bikes almost anywhere and everywhere.''
''We can use them where silence is golden,'' he said.
Dirker said he is sure the eight officers on the Stow bike patrol will enjoy their new assignment.
One of them, Steve Heim, 35, said he is looking forward to the aerobic duty for a change of pace and as a way to stay in shape.
''It's going to be a good time,'' Heim said.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
On an overcast afternoon, eight police officers on bicycles dodged raindrops and obstacles on a course in the parking lot of the Stow Safety Building.
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