IPMBA News

Bobbies on their bikes in south Bristol

Avon and Somerset Constabulary, 17 May 2016

Officers based at Broadbury Road Police Station have a new fleet of bikes, which will help them to be more visible and accessible to their local community.

The pilot project aims to help PCSOs move towards using bikes (and foot patrol) as their default patrol method in their communities.

South Bristol Neighbourhood Manager Inspector Nigel Colston said: “Officers on bikes are more approachable than they are in cars, so we hope that the bikes will help us to build better relationships with local people, inviting them to have more conversations with us."

“Bristol was the UK’s first cycling city so it’s great that we can share the city’s passion for the bike with our local communities.

“Bikes can also get to places that cars can’t reach and sometimes more quickly than if an officer was on foot, so they can be very useful for catching criminals, and for disrupting anti-social behaviour. Being out on a bike also makes it easier to spot criminal activity, as officers’ senses are more attuned to their surroundings than when they are sat inside a car.

“We know that if we use bikes more and cars less it’s also better for the environment, saves us money on fuel and helps improve the fitness of our officers.”

The effectiveness of the pilot scheme will be evaluated by officers recording their mileage per shift with a cyclometer app on their phones and also via their feedback in surveys. This will then inform whether the project offers value for money and whether it should be rolled out more widely across the force.

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