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By Kirby Beck
IPMBA President
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Since our last Police on Bikes conference,
two events with large scale civil disobedience have transpired. Both newsworthy
events prominently featured our brother and sister bike officers. The Police
Departments in the cities hosting the two national political party conventions
-- Philadelphia and Los Angeles - employed bikes for the first time against
the hit-and-run tactics of the organized anarchists and protest groups that
prey upon such prominent events. The national media spotlight was trained
on each city, and the nation watched to see how the protesters would be handled.
In both cities, bike officers were crucial in heading off the rebels before
they could disrupt traffic and business or engage in violent acts. In Los
Angeles, the anarchy groups who loudly proclaimed that they were "going to
kick LAPD's ass" were held to barely a whimper -- thanks to the rapid deployment
and swift action of the platoons of bike officers assigned.
The Philadelphia and L.A. police prepared for the protests for months. For
the first time in history, they included bike officers in their plans,
demonstrating their understanding of the rapid deployment capability and
maneuverability of bikes in crowded areas. Bike units were positioned where
the demonstrations were most likely to take place. Training included riding
in tight echelons, both with and without gas masks and assorted tools; and
using bikes as mobile blockades. They even learned to rapidly weave the bikes
together into a blockade, using a strong length of steel cable carried by
one of the officers.
Don Hudson, IPMBA Board member, PCIT, and LAPD bike instructor, was instrumental
in planning the tactics and training the L.A. bike officers deployed during
the Democratic National Convention (DNC). According to Don, the success of
the bikes far exceeded even their own expectations. Once the supervisors
became aware of the wide range of tasks the bike officers could quickly and
efficiently handle, they found it unnecessary to call into action many of
the tactical teams stationed inside and outside the Convention. Unlike in
Philadelphia, where the bike cops received lots of national media coverage,
in L.A. the bike cops were a well kept secret. A secret to everyone but the
anarchists whose butts they kicked! As the national news reported, the DNC
was relatively free of notable violence and incidents. The fact that there
were no major problems reported is a tribute to the bike cops who prevented
them. The fact that many of the planners and instructors are active in IPMBA
makes us proud.
The use of police bikes in large civil demonstrations is a relatively recent
phenomenon. We are fortunate to have one of the pioneers as one of our own.
During the Police on Bikes Conference in Cincinnati, Don Hudson will present
two, four-hour workshops on the planning, training and tactics employed by
the LAPD bike officers. I hope that some representatives from the Philadelphia
area will be in attendance as well.
This is a great opportunity for bike officers and instructors from large
cities, or any areas that face frequent or expected civil demonstrations,
to hear what worked so well first-hand. It promises to be a hands-on presentation
which may help prevent the type of chaos and disruption experienced most
notably and recently in Seattle. It seems that when it comes to civil
demonstrations - as with many incidents -- the turn of the century adage
that "one cop on a bike is worth two on foot" still rings true.
Tell your boss about this unique opportunity to learn a new and effective
use for public safety bikes, and encourage them to arrange for you and your
fellow bike officers to attend the 2001 Police on Bikes Conference. The workshop
on civil protests is but one of many reasons to mark your calendar and alert
your brass to the Conference, May 3-5, 2001, in Cincinnati. The schedule
will be filled with our usual array of workshops, including advanced bike
handling skills, officer survival, firearms training, EMS-specific topics,
community policing, and health & fitness. And who could forget the
always-exciting mountain bike competition? Don't waste a moment - print out
the registration form and mail it in
today.  |
