More Bikes
- Chicago Police officers are preparing to patrol Chicago's streets by bicycle and the department's newest bike patrol officers were put through the paces on Tuesday.
Officers are learning they will have to ride their bike, weaving through tight spots, such as in crowd control during marches and protests. Police say these bike patrols are the next generation of community policing, in many cases more effective than an officer on foot or in a car.
They said it proved very effective during the NATO protest two years ago.
[...] Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy plan to double the size of the department's bike patrol, to about 400 officers.
Most kidding aside, the Bikes are a decent asset to have - weather permitting - in a downtown environment for patrol, parades and publicity. But for where the shootings are, not so much. What if you have to leave the bike to hop a fence or enter a building? If you've ever dropped a flashlight, a magazine, a pair of handcuffs in the 'hood, you know it isn't going to be there when you get back, or if it is, it'll be in pieces.
Labels: department issues
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
38 Comments:
They're probably Divvy bikes.
all tac teams will get issued ricshaws, low seniority person pedals, narcotics will get tandems, command staff get shwinns!
this is better material that anyone can make up
"What if you have to leave the bike to hop a fence or enter a building?"
Just like the old US cavalry. Three police to chase, and a fourth officer to be the bike holder!
You can use those cute little tandem bikes. They are sooo wonderful. You can really get to know your partner (wink, wink)riding around on them all day.
Yes, and if you ever leave a flashlight, a magazine or cuffs in the car at end of watch or in your locker room you can also count on it not being there the next day.
Just wait until the clouted decide to transfer the fat middle aged trouble-makers to the bike squad. Just like Robert E Lee Pruitt in "From Here to Eternity."
Enjoy your new ride SCC!
Guess the bike cops will just have to call for back up before they leave their bike unattended. The Brits have been using bikes in urban and rural/suburban areas forever. When the department is strapped for cash, a bike is cheaper than a SUV.
Nonsense about dropping the bike. I used to ride on patrol in the late 90's in 025. Made numerous arrests, had to lose sight of the bike several times, never had an issue.
400 more officers to do nothing but ride a bike all day.
I can just see the IODs from falling off the bikes from hitting potholes and riding thru puddles and snow. Knees, ankles, wrists, maybe even a face plant and 6 months off to heal.
That's all fine and dandy but where are they going to get the bodies to ride them.
Leaving your bike in the hood to chase a shooter?
Hell, you can't leave your baton in a locked squad car in the police lot and expect it to be there at your next tour.
We gotta keep the Pols home here on the range. Somebody must have visited London, and heard Petula Clark singing "...Bobbies on bicycles, two by two...?"
I have an electric bike and I never have to rely on a car, bus or train again. Ebikes are the future.
CPD should get them to increase their speed and distances covered.
Costs me .02 cents in electricity to rise 20 miles to work and back.
Use Divvy bikes.
Cheaper than squad cars or Tahoes. Perhaps all mission, school units and park cars should be put on bicycles to free up extra vehicles.
400 bikes equals 400 new vehicles.Wasn't that the promise the city made to Dean during those hard fought negotiations. I don't believe the city clarified what the vehicles would be. Just like Rahm and McIgot a30somethingbride said they were going to hire 1000 more police and then disbanded working units.Think about it.
a bicycle built for two?....hah!
Rahm them bikes up ur ash
The Brits have been using bikes in urban and rural/suburban areas forever.
----
Their cops are not allowed to take guns home either. No one shoots in London because nobody has guns. Also, if more cops are riding bikes, there should be a push for lower health care costs! Exercise on the job and get paid! Brilliant.
"Squad, hold me in the station waiting on a bike."
I didn't read but half of the first sentence of this post and realized - yep, Swan Lake and McCrappy Accent too cheap to purchase new (make that additional) cars. Assholes.
--No Cop Here
Bikes in the North Side work great,In the Ghetto Bad idea.
What about using Segways? I'm serious. They make Police Models so someone's using them. Here's the Police Model webpage: Segway Police Models Seems pretty cool to me. Smaller than Bikes, can go 20 MPH.
---- Transforming Community Policing Programs ......
The Segway Patroller
---- 3 Wheel Model ......
Segway SE-3 Patroller
yeah I know. like Tiny Dancer would ever spring for something like these when he won't even furnish standard equip squad cars
I can just see officers on bikes in the Ghetto, dude will fire upon them, try to run them over, throw crap at them etc. you will have coppers doing traffic stops on bikes, NOTHING GOOD WILL COME OF THIS!!!!!! they are great for the downtown areas, Rush St. Michigan ave. Parks, Lakefront etc. but not down deep in the HOOD!!!!!
Yes this is very true from a 30k to a 2 million a year budget for bikes- they have already started training new bike officers over at near north last week and the training will be ongoing.The previous Sgt that had ran the bike unit over 14+yrs made Lt. And for the last 3yrs as sgt had the luxury to study while in law school on company time now he has no clue what he is doing on midnights in 001 will probably be made a commander to run this city wide bike unit-thats how this department works
Have at least a dozen bikes in our garage. I think afternoons at their best was able to put up 2. Now? None. Maybe he'll hire that extra 400 officers to man them.
during the last 3 years Illinois has 85 bicycle related accident fatalities this is good PR to justify the mayor's program for DIVY bikes and bike lanes!
I wouldn't go near a bike on this job. Way to dangerous with all the crazy, intoxicated, no license drivers out there. Lets not forget streets that look like mountain roads in Afghanistan. Get run over on duty and die and the city puts on some BS ceremony for you then your forgotten and your family gets left in a pile of city hall red tape trying to stay alive financially. No way!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
during the last 3 years Illinois has 85 bicycle related accident fatalities this is good PR to justify the mayor's program for DIVY bikes and bike lanes!
10/29/2014 09:21:00 PM
He's not mayor of Illinois.
How many in Chicago?
Costs me .02 cents in electricity to rise 20 miles to work and back.
10/29/2014 06:00:00 AM
What price for your dignity, though?
...and to the guy that rode a bike in 025 in the 90s and never had a bike stolen that he lost sight of.......it's 2014. Times have changed a whole lot.
I Ride My Bicycle Often Throughout The City. I Feel I Am Very Up To Speed On What Its Like To Ride A Bicycle On The Street Of Chicago.
"Very Scary"
That Said, I Am Convinced The Best Thing That Could, and Should Be Done Is: GET RID OF THOSE RIDICULOUS FLOWER POTS ! All Traffic Would Move Smoother And Safer. Open The Streets Up Again, and You Could Get Rid Of Those Obstructive Bike Lanes. Vehicles, Bicycles and Pedestrians Would Be Best Served Without Them.
ALL SERIOUS COMMENTS WELCOMED !
Cuthbert J. Twillie said...
What about using Segways? I'm serious. They make Police Models so someone's using them. Here's the Police Model webpage: Segway Police Models Seems pretty cool to me. Smaller than Bikes, can go 20 MPH.
---- Transforming Community Policing Programs ......
The Segway Patroller
---- 3 Wheel Model ......
Segway SE-3 Patroller
yeah I know. like Tiny Dancer would ever spring for something like these when he won't even furnish standard equip squad cars
10/29/2014 01:03:00 PM
Your favoite mouthbreather here...
We tried the Seways at Street Operations a few years ago. And I know that a few of the districts already have a few cops on them (018 comes to mind).
The problem with them is the life of the battery. We had the early models...so the battery wasn't lasting a full shift. And the recharge time was averaging 10 hours if I recall correctly.
The better bet is the 3 wheeled variant that Cook County uses around the Daley center. And that the CPD had around 2 years ago for Lalapalooza. The battery life on that one is much better than the Segways. And a 3 wheeled is much more stable and usefull in all weather conditions.
As I see it, regardless of the type of electirc bike (segway or Trike) the issue is deployment and downtime for charging. And for bicycles the issue is going to be Fleet repair and replacement parts.
Reach out to the current coppers you might know that are on a bike detail already. Does the Department keep a good supply of spare inner tubes and replacement tires and seats and portable air pumps? Does Fleet actually show up for a flat tire for a Bike Patrol Cop?
Right now, Fleet doesn't do Bike repair for the TMA or Revenue Bikes. So not sure if they are doing the CPD ones.
It is something to think about especally in the districts where if you don't nail it down it walks off.
Turd watch ANOV car volunteered, saw them riding yesterday. Look out pedicabsters, Jimbo and Danny ride angry.
Blogger Cuthbert J. Twillie said...
What about using Segways? I'm serious. They make Police Models so someone's using them. Here's the Police Model webpage: Segway Police Models Seems pretty cool to me. Smaller than Bikes, can go 20 MPH.
---- Transforming Community Policing Programs ......
The Segway Patroller
---- 3 Wheel Model ......
Segway SE-3 Patroller
yeah I know. like Tiny Dancer would ever spring for something like these when he won't even furnish standard equip squad cars
10/29/2014 01:03:00 PM
To Quote TD: "Everyone I know who had ridden a Segway for work, has been hurt on a Segway." Make sure you have a dentist on call.
squad. ......call r-man pedal is broke
Boy there are some serious haters out there! That supervisor that ran the bike unit for all those years successfully made Sgt and then Lt on his own!!!! You won't find his name on ANY meritorious list anywhere. Then he completes law school and you try to find a way to discount that...you have some serious issues.
The Sgt. that was in charge of the bike unit did his job, J.A. had a motto, If it's free it's for me, learned that from his father. But, he studied hard, made LT. and I think passed his bar exam, and so what if he used a little time to study, so me any copper on this job that is going to school that doesn't do that, please don't hate, we are hated enogh by the public. And so what if they do make him in charge of this new Bike Unit, they do a good job, I watched them in action during NATO Training.
I overheard a conversation that my police officer wife was, "peddling her ass all over the South side!"
Whew! Thanks, that explains it, Bikes on the job.
You're Welcome.
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