Hiram Police Roll Out Bike Patrol Initiative

From the Hiram Police Department:

The City of Hiram Police Department is rolling out its first bicycle patrol program. This program will begin operations within the next several weeks. The motivation for the program stems from the department’s need to address a number of concerns.

First, we intend on deploying the bikes during peak shopping hours in our retail districts. Our jurisdiction has seen a rise in the number of car break-ins and the conspicuous presence of a marked patrol unit is only a deterrent as long as the officer remains visible. Once gone, criminals take the opportunity to quickly enter autos and remove personal belongings. The use of bikes will allow our officers to patrol stealthily, not alerting criminals of our presence, enabling us to detect and move in swiftly to make an apprehension. Once it is realized that we utilize such a tactic we believe that criminal activity of this nature will be reduced.

Second, we are trying to promote a culture of health and wellness and instill a desire in our men and women to make lifestyle changes that promote their well-being. We will make these bikes available to officers as a healthy alternative to driving a patrol vehicle, which is a sedentary activity that over time can lead to obesity and other negative health consequences. Officers will have the option to check out a bike at the beginning of their shift, place it on the carrier, and take it with them out on patrol. During periods of low call volume, officers will be permitted to substitute on-duty vehicle patrols with bike patrols that will improve overall health and wellness. Should their be an urgent need to climb back in the car, the bike can be placed back on the rack and both officer and bike can be on their way.

Third, we want to increase the number of interactions are officers are able to have with citizens and visitors to our community. Riding in patrol vehicles with the windows up discourages police/citizen contacts. Now, more than ever, we need to be approachable. This form of police patrol will allow this to happen.

Finally, bikes are green! Every hour spent riding a bike reduces fuel consumption, which reduces carbon emissions.

This purchase was made possible through your support of SPLOST. We want to thank you for your continued support of public safety and we hope that you appreciate our use of these monies to improve our ability to response to the needs of our community.

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