Hopkinton Police Department: *VIDEO* Hopkinton Police Department Welcomes Back Bicycle Patrol

Press release from the Hopkinton Police Department:

Leah Comins

September 3, 2021

*Click here to view the video.*

HOPKINTON — Chief Joseph Bennett is pleased to share a video highlighting the Hopkinton Police Department’s recently revamped bike patrol unit.

Sgt. Aaron O’Neil and Officer Jay Deiana, both members of the bike patrol, are interviewed in the video. 

The bike patrol unit was originally started through the use of a community policing grant over a decade ago. It was recently revamped by a group of officers in the spring. Since then, the unit has worked to train officers, update uniforms and repair bikes.

“We have a lot of great young officers coming on and I felt that it was a great opportunity to get our new officers out there in the public and give them an opportunity to be on the bike, to be seen and introduce themselves,” Sgt. O’Neil said.

Over the past few months, bike patrol officers have attended Cops on Bicycles with Education for Bicyclists (C.O.B.W.E.B.) courses offered by the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC). The unit currently consists of seven officers — four who recently attended training and joined the unit and three officers who were previously part of the bike patrol.

Depending on staffing, officers will go out on bike patrols in Hopkinton neighborhoods to meet and talk with residents. Bike patrol officers keep stickers, pens and pencils with them to give out to kids they see on patrol. They also wear safety gear which allows them to talk about bicycle safety with the kids they see on patrol, as well as set a good example for biking safely.

The bicycles also allow officers to go to areas they normally can’t with a cruiser, such as rail trails, the starting area of the Boston Marathon and other large events.

This press release was produced by the Hopkinton Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.