By IPMBA Staff
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The 2000 International Police Mountain
Bike Association's Police Mountain Bike Survey was distributed to bike officers
from around the country through three primary channels: the 10th Annual IPMBA
Conference in Tucson, Arizona; the IPMBA listserve; and Police Cyclist courses
held throughout the state of Michigan. 306 surveys were returned and tallied,
with the following results.
On duty, what combination of bike and patrol car do you
take?
Patrol car and bicycle: 55%
Bicycle only: 35%
Other: 5%
If you take both a patrol car and a bike, which racking
system do you use?
Trunk rack: 48%
Trailer hitch and bike rack: 40%
Other: 12% (back of truck; back of seat of patrol car; trunk)
Have you or anyone from your department experienced any
intentional damage or theft of your bike or equipment?
No: 79%
Yes: 21% (bikes were stolen while unattended; tires were flattened; quick
releases opened; lights and rack bags stolen off bikes; computers stolen;
brakes released, helmets stolen while on the bike; sunglasses stolen; bike
repair stands stolen)
Does your department provide bike patrol-specific firearms
training?
No: 74%
Yes: 26%
Does your department provide bike specific defensive tactics
training?
No: 84%
Yes: 16%
Does your bike patrol have an "off-season" (i.e.: winter,
little or no riding)?
No: 40%
Yes: 60% (on that off-season the top three activities to stay in shape were
to jog/run, weights, and bike skills/stationary bike)
Which injuries have you incurred during bike patrol
training?
None: 33%
Scrapes & Bruises: 46%
Sprains, strains, muscle tears: 15%
Dislocations, fractures, other: 6%
Did the training injury result in time lost from
work?
Yes: 64% lost five or fewer days; length of time ranged from one day to 11
months
Have you ever been injured (other than assaulted) while
on bike patrol duty?
No: 80%
Yes: 20% (included: 49% minor crashes; 14% hit by a car; 37% miscellaneous
injuries, including water on the knee, broken patella, broken arm, injured
rotator cuff)
Did the bike duty injury result in time lost from work?
No: 57%
Yes: 42% (75% lost less than one week; length of time ranged from 1 day to
6 months)
Have you experienced a foot injury due to improper
footwear?
No: 96%
Yes: 4%
Have you ever unintentionally injured someone else while
on bike patrol?
No: 100%
Are you familiar with any bike officers who died during
bike training or while on bike patrol duty?
No: 99%
Yes: 1%
Are you aware of any incidents in which a bike officer
was involved in a lethal force incident?
No: 91%
Yes: 9%
Is there a noticeable difference in morale between bike
officers and road patrol officers in your department?
No: 44%
Yes: 38% (75% reported that bike officers' morale was better. Descriptions
of bike officers included: happier, more proud, more positive, more committed,
more enthusiastic, better attitudes, more job satisfaction, more motivated,
more willing to train, more outgoing, greater community awareness. 25% reported
resentment by road patrol officers toward bike officers.)
Has your bike patrol program experienced any form of
stagnation or disinterest?
No: 62%
Yes: 38% (administration no longer supports bike patrol; manpower shortages;
budget crunches; lack of interest in riding among bike officers)
Does your department keep statistics that compare bike
patrol activity to road patrol such as arrest, tickets or
enforcement?
No: 75%
Yes: 25%
Has your bike patrol experienced any issues or situations
unique to your area?
Yes: winter riding, seasonal Christmas riding in shopping areas, hazard pay,
pre-screening, patrolling dorm areas, state troopers on bikes, enforcing
hunting and fishing law on bikes, working organized protests such as KKK
rally, crowd control, undercover and plainclothes surveillance.
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