Claremore PD bike unit recruits two officers
Photo: Patrol officer and certified police mountain bike instructor, Jordan Holland (middle) introduces the newest members of the CPD bike patrol unit, officers Eli Vang (from left) and Ricky Propst.
By MARK FRIEDEL STAFF REPORTER, November 7, 2014, The Daily Progress
The Claremore Police Department mountain bike patrol unit increased their manpower with the addition of two officers Friday.
Patrol officers Eli Vang and Ricky Propst are the newest members of the unit, following a series of training courses and tests last month.
This brings the total number of certified bike patrol officers to six, said Jordan Holland, CPD patrol officer and police mountain bike instructor.
Holland was certified as an instructor a year ago after training in Washington D.C. with the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA). He said IPMBA is one of the most recognized police biking organizations in the world.
Holland is one of only a handful of instructors in Oklahoma.
“The benefits of having this type of program are endless. We have stealth at night, and during events we’re out in the open for people to see, which allows anyone to communicate with us.”
Claremore’s bike unit was launched in 2007 with four officers. Holland said overtime, riders have left and others have joined.
“By the fall of 2015, my goal is to have a total of 10 officers certified,” he said. “The officers will still patrol in vehicles, but will now have bikes available whenever they need them. It’s important that our patrol units know exactly where we are at all times because obviously bikes are difficult to spot sitting in the street.”
Holland said when officers on bikes make an arrest, they call for a patrol car to pick up the arrestee and then officers follow to the jail to complete necessary paperwork.