[From the Wisconsin State Journal. -Ed.]
By Scott J. Anderson
Wisconsin State Journal
To Madison Police officers, the mountain bike isn't just a hip way to get around, it's a proven crime-fighting tool.
During the past four summers, the Madison Police bike patrol has become an integral part of the Downtown night scene and a reassuring sight to merchants and strollers alike.
"I think we couldn't do without them," said Dan Waisman, owner of Pic-a-Book, 506 State St "We finally have an effective way to patrol State Street"
With a $1,000 grant from the Greater State Street Business Association to purchase two mountain bikes, Officers Kip Kellogg and Denise Baylis began patrolling State Street in 1992. Now, six officers rotate into the two-officer patrol and hit the Downtown area from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The city officers share five departinent mountain bikes, purchased with the help of GSSBA and city money, and usually go out seven nights a week, weather permitting. (A sixth bike was stolen when an officer responded to a bar fight a few years ago.)
Baylis said an officer rides between 10 and 15 miles during an eight-hour patrol.
In addition to the city's bike patrol, UW-Madison Police and Security and Capitol Police at times have bike officers patrolling Downtown.
Mountain bikes are a great patrol, she said.
"You are a lot more approachable than if you're in a squad car," Baylis said. "A police presence is reassuring to tourists and citizens-- they like to see officers."
State Street merchants are also happy with the bike patrols and said they wish there were more.
"I feel secure knowing that there's a (police) presence on State Street," said Victor Villacrez, owner of the Funny Business Comedy Club, 118 State St But any future bike patrols should not come at the expense of foot patrols, Villacrez added.
Because they can knife through traffic or use back alleys, bike officers are often the first officers to respond to a crime scene, despite carrying 20 pounds of gear-- including bullet-proof vests and pistols-- with them, Baylis said.
"It's a little more sweat and en- ergy, but'we're getting there faster than the squads," said officer Phil Moore, who said officers often chase people through the dark.
However, due to limited funding, officers have had to fight for proper uniforms and equipment Baylis said, and officers are unable to buy rain gear so they could patrol in all weather.
Kellogg said the patrol's budget tor the past two years was limited to $250 for maintenance on the five bikes.
Bike officers, who undergo four days of training in urban riding skills before assuming a patrol, can do everything squad-based officers do except take prisoners to jail, but they mostly deal with minor violations, Baylis explained. While they do respond to trouble calls, bike of!ficers mainly look for such things as open bot- tles of liquor, panhandlers being too aggressive, noisy underage drinking parties and curfew violations.
But policing what Baylis called "kiddie crimes" keeps troublemakers in check, she said. "There's no ticket for being a jerk"
Alcohol is the leading cause of the trouble bike officers deal with, Moore said. Officers try to keep an eye out for young, intoxicated women so they don't get assaulted, for panhandlers begging for change to buy alcohol and for potential brawls between drunks.
"After midnight, there are no true victims on State Street," Moore said while talking about bar fights.
The patrol's "stealth factor" also helps, Baylis said. Criminals often are looking for officers in squad cars, she said, and bike officers can surprise criminals, including some drug dealers, while they're in the act.
|
|
|
? ? ? About the BCP |
|