[Reprinted from The Capital Times, Thursday, June 11, 1998. -Ed.]
By Matt Gallo
Correspondent for The Capital Times
FITCHBURG - Ditching the Fitchburg police on foot has just become a lot harder.
The Police Department here has gone low-tech in an effort to become more mobile, accessible and available. Since the weather broke this spring, bicycle cops have been patrolling the city's densely populated north and northeast sections.
"The bike is definitely the best way for us to go in this part of the city, " said Doug Heimerl, with two years, experience the most veteran of the four-man Fitchburg Mountain Bike Patrol. "I probably know 40 kids in Chalet Gardens who call me Doug. I am a lot more aware and accessible on the bike than in a squad car. I get to know the people and hear what's going on."
Fitchburg is a sprawling city of 35.5 square miles, so bike cops will never replace the traditional patrol cars. But they can augment and improve law enforcement efforts, says Police Chief Terry Askey. In compact neighborhoods, he says, they have proven effective in fighting crime. The city is seeking a fifth bicycle cop.
"It's the most personal policing we have," said Askey, who heads a force of 30 officers and manages a $2.15 million annual budget. "The police are more accessible to the public, get more comment and can improve problem responses because they are familiar with the people in the neighborhood."
Fitchburg has two bike police offices in the populous northern part of the city, including the newly dedicated West Neighborhood Office at Fire Station No. 2, 5414 King James Way, and the North Office, 2321 Traceway Dr. Both police districts include several apartment complexes, some where drugs reputedly are sold, and serve 4,000 and 5,000 residents, respectively.
The bicycles are less obtrusive and more mobile, cheaper to operate, and more approachable than police cruisers, said Sean Coffey, a three-year Fitchburg police officer in his first year as a bike cop.
"The bikes provide a tactical advantage," Coffey said. "We go at a slower pace than a squad car, are a lot quieter and we're more likely to see more."
The four members of the mountain bike unit- Heimarl and Coffey at the west office, and Jay Wilson and Gary Gustavson at the north office- have completed a weeklong bicycle patrol training course that teaches the tricks of effective police bike riding. Wilson said instruction includes quick mounting and dismounting, riding up and down steps, how to fall and even a lesson in using handcuffs as padlocks.
Bike police can ride up to 25 miles per day, making the rounds, investigating complaints and talking with neighbors. That tends to keep the in good shape during the biking season, which runs from April through the end of October. Heimarl said he typically lose 2 inches around the waist in the spring. In the winter, they return to more traditional foot and squad car patrols.
The bikes are specially built black and white police model but are similar to those sold in a bike shop. They are equipped with lights, an odometer and pack with first aid and toot kits They have sturdy aluminum frames with front shock absorbers. The city has two Treks and two Raleighs, which cost about $850 each.
The officers, too, are specially equipped. Each carries a sidearm and a two-way radio. They wear Kevlar vests under their black Fitchburg police uniform, which makes for some sweaty officers.
"Sometimes at the end of the day we can maybe smell a little," Coffey said.
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? ? ? About the BCP |
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