Cleveland Heights Police Officers Will Patrol Parks on Bikes by the End of May

Two Cleveland Heights police officers are in Delaware, OH, this week learning how to . 

Officers Larry Rieck and Brandon Reichard will start riding in , and  parks by the end of May, said Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson. 

Reick and Reichard interviewed with the department and were selected to attend the training, Robertson said.

They will first focus on watching over the parks, but soon will also attend festivals and other summertime activities to keep the streets safe and interact with residents.

The weeklong training has 13 sessions, including night riding, bike maintenance, patrol procedures and community policing. Officers will practice on courses set up with cones and obstacles, according to a brochure from the Delaware Police Department. The training costs $275 per officer.

The 21-gear mountain bikes cost $1,200 each, and officers can easily ride off the road if necessary, Robertson said.

“We’re looking forward to getting the bicycle program going and looking forward to getting these guys into the training,” Robertson said. "They’ll be training with a lot of guys from around the state, and we’ll get input from them about how their bike units operate and maybe incorporate that into our program."

Robertson said he has been in contact with the Euclid Police Department, which has a bike patrol unit, to get information about how its program works.

City Manager Robert Downey said he was excited about the program.

“(Officers) can move rather stealthily. It’s not lights and sirens,” Downey said. “This is going to be good.”

The department also put in an order for three emergency call boxes, which cost $20,000 total, to be installed in Cumberland, Cain and Forest Hill parks by the end of June, Robertson said. 

“In the future, as money becomes available, we aim to put them in the business districts,” he said.