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The Mobridge
Police Department Bike Patrol Unit (BPU) was
established in 2005 by Officer Tony Larsen as a way to
better interact with the community and to enhance the
ability of officers to detect and deter criminal activity.
The BPU is a volunteer unit currently consisting of two
officers. BPU equipment is funded only by
donations from the public.
Officer Larsen
is an IPMBA
Certified Police Cyclist, having attended and successfully completed a challenging 40-hour
basic Police Cyclist training
course presented through the International Police Mountain Bike
Association. This training and certification allows Officer
Larsen to
utilize efficient skills to operate safely and properly on
bike patrol,
reducing liability and increasing proficiency to better
enforce the law.
Officer Shawn
Fox has been a Police Cyclist since the 2008 bike patrol season.
Using bicycles
to patrol promotes the department's community oriented
policing philosophy by allowing officers
to be more accessible to the public compared to patrolling in
traditional patrol vehicles. It also allows officers to be more mobile
compared to foot
patrol. Patrolling on bicycles also allows officers to be
stealthier when responding to incidents requiring the officers to be discrete about their presence.
The BPU is
active typically from April through October, weather permitting.
BPU Police Cyclists patrol the entire City of Mobridge, giving
special attention to the City parks system, the Mobridge
Pool, the City sports complexes, the Main Street & Grand
Crossing business districts, motels, the drive-in movie theater, and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail walking
and biking areas, as
well as at special events.
The BPU
currently uses two police patrol bicycles, which are both 2008 Giant Rincon 24-speed 26" tire front-suspension mountain
bikes; one on a 22" frame and one on an 18" frame.
These patrol bikes are fully equipped police patrol vehicles with
red & blue emergency strobe lights, amber warning strobe
lights, 115 decibel "yelp" emergency warning
sirens, 105
decibel electronic air horns, LED taillights, 32 watt
dual beam halogen headlight systems with
"wig-wags", and reflective police
markings.
The police patrol bikes
are authorized
emergency vehicles, as defined by SDCL 32-14-1(2). Police
Cyclists do conduct both vehicle traffic stops and
pedestrian stops while on patrol. Vehicles and
pedestrians must yield and stop for the patrol bicycles when
the red & blue emergency lights and/or audible siren
are/is activated, just as with any other authorized emergency
vehicle. Police Cyclists may also issue voice commands.
Failure to comply with the laws regarding interaction with
emergency vehicles and directions of a police officer may
result in the issuance of citations for the law violations
and, under certain circumstances, may subject pedestrians to
a Fleeing from Police charge and vehicle drivers to an
Eluding Police charge.
As stated
before, the BPU is funded solely by donations from the
public. The BPU is gracious to the public for having the
generosity to allow the program to expand to what it is
today! However, the BPU still needs continued public
financial support to cover costs for training and maintenance of the bikes and
equipment.
The BPU is also hoping to raise
funds to purchase rechargeable battery-powered
electric hub motors as a safety measure for both patrol
bicycles. This technology will allow Police Cyclists to
quickly and efficiently respond in an emergency to a call
anywhere within the city without risk of officer
overexertion.
One of
the attractive things about having police officers on
bicycles is the much lower operating cost compared to the
cost of purchasing a patrol car, with regular
maintenance and fuel usage. Comparatively, several bike
officers can be fully equipped for the same price as one
officer in a patrol car.
If you would like to make
a monetary donation to the BPU or would like more
information, please contact BPU Coordinator Tony Larsen
through
this email link or call
605-845-5000.
The BPU
also hosts the annual MPD
Bicycle Safety Program for Mobridge area youth. |
