Cycling police officers are good
for cycling, good for the trade
by Dan Joyce
Bicycle Business Magazine (UK)
Reprinted with permission; visit
www.bikebiz.com.
Cycling police officers generate more
column inches of positive press coverage than any other professional cyclists.
Yet they don't enjoy the same relationship with the trade as that other class
of professionals, racers. It's time they did.
To get an insight into the role of cycling police officers, and the opportunities
for bobbies and bike trade to work together, BikeBiz interviewed Sergeant
Monte May, US-based Industry Liaison Officer for the International Police
Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), Inspector Nigel Tottie from York, and
PC Bob Kenney from Sheffield.
One of the most obvious benefits of bike cops to the trade is that they are
good PR. It's their job to be visible - the purpose of patrolling being public
reassurance and criminal deterrence. If the emergency services are using
bikes, it follows that cycling is a sensible, swift and safe way of getting
around. In itself, this might lead to another bike being bought. But bike
cops aren't just in the public eye; they also have the public ear. Joe
Potential-Punter can walk up and ask a policeman.
'Word-of-mouth advertising has the greatest long-term impact on behaviour,
and bike cops interact with dozens of civilians each day,' said Sgt Monte
May. 'Most of these face-to-face contacts are friendly. The conversation
often turns to the officer's job and questions about the equipment. We get
asked: "What type of bike is that? Is it a good one? I'm interested in getting
a bike - do you think that brand is well-made? Where can I get a bike like
that?" Sometimes the questions are about the accessories. I have pair of
Topeak bar-end mirrors on my police bike. Civilian cyclists love them and
frequently ask where to buy them.' The answer - ker-ching! - is your shop.
From the trade, bike cops need tough, ultra-reliable bikes and equipment.
Both the UK and US bike trades have a bias towards sports and fitness cycling
- on road and off - but it's top end 'utility bikes' that the bobbies need.
'We ride day in, day out, in all weather and conditions,' said Insp Nigel
Tottie. 'In York we cover around 30 miles each day. Few other groups of people
put in such consistent riding day after day. We also ride over all terrain,
not just on roads.'
Sgt May agreed, adding: 'Police cyclists subject their bicycles to a degree
of abuse that is not common among recreational riders. For instance, an officer
may have to rapidly dismount to effect an arrest or to take cover from gunfire,
dropping the bike on its side onto concrete.'
This kind of rough treatment hammers components and can destroy vulnerable
kit like cycle computers, which the police use to log mileage. Lights are
another problem. Police need high-power lights but most rechargeables last
less than four hours: half an eight-hour shift.
Some equipment is suitable for bike patrols. PC Bob Kenney's police bike
features a Rohloff Speedhub, Grimeca disc brakes and Specialized Crossroads
EX tyres, and Sgt May advises that police bikes be equipped with nothing
less than Shimano LX. Good kit isn't cheap, but Sgt May calculates that it's
possible to fully outfit ten bike cops for the cost of a single police car.
In the USA, IPMBA has negotiated with various suppliers in the cycle trade
to create a 'product purchase programme' (PPP) for its members. The idea
is to enable bike cops to obtain cycling-specific equipment at reasonable
- that is, slightly discounted - prices. The PPP is also something of a
one-stop-shop for the items that bike patrols need.
Insp Tottie is keen to replicate this programme in the UK. 'I have already
had some interest. Zyro are one of our team's major trade suppliers and seem
keen to sign up to the PPP. I will be looking at getting other suppliers
on board as I go along.'
The big expense in equipping bike cops is the bicycle itself. Sometimes these
are purchased by the police authority. Increasingly, police in the USA and
UK are finding that they can tap into federal or government funds that are
available for local crime reduction schemes. Sometimes bikes are supplied
through the sponsorship of a local shop or even a manufacturer: York's officers
are supplied by Cycle Heaven, while the Metropolitan Police in London have
just signed a contract with Trek.
'The first option that every department should consider is their local bike
shop,' said Sgt May. Insp Tottie agreed. 'The main lesson we've learned is
this: whatever the purchase arrangements, a local dealer needs to be involved
in the servicing. Officers need to be able to just call in somewhere and
have problems sorted. Cycle Heaven have been superb with us in this respect.'
The fact that the police are on bikes provides the potential to build bridges
not only with the trade, but with the wider community - cyclists and non-cyclists
alike. On the one hand, bike cops can educate drivers (and some cyclists)
by talking to them and by demonstrating responsible cycling behaviour. On
the other hand, they can enforce traffic law on cyclists - whether it's stopping
someone from cycling in a pedestrian area or launching a winter 'light up'
campaign - without igniting an 'embattled minority' response.
The bikes are particularly useful in relations with the kind of baggy-trousered
teen who would never normally talk to a copper. 'The bike's what they want
to talk about,' said PC Bob Kenney. 'That breaks the ice, and then you're
talking about whatever their problem might be. First they're saying, "Oh,
right, disc brakes, suspension forks." They're talking to a policeman before
they realise it.
'They start talking about the bikes, and all of a sudden they're talking
about something else. "Did you know that there's kids coming down here doing
this or that or nicking mobile phones?" And it's all started because they
were talking about the shocks on your bike.'
Bike cops are growing in numbers because they're getting results. They have
the accessibility of officers on foot patrol, but have a greater range and
speed.
'Initially, other officers thought it was amusing and a gimmick,' said Insp
Tottie. 'Now, two years on, they've seen the results we're getting - and
there is never a problem recruiting new team members.' All they need now
is stronger ties with the trade.
© 2004 Bicycle Business magazine. Reprinted with permission.
This article appeared in the Summer 2004 issue of IPMBA News. |
