In Pursuit of the Next “Best Thing”
by Kirby Beck, PCI #002T/EMSCI #017T
Coon Rapids (MN) Police Department (Ret.)
I am in my seventh decade living in this place we call “the World.” Thirty of those years, between 1974 and 2005, were spent working in law enforcement. During that time, I saw a lot of things promoted as the next “best thing” for policing: a new product, a new technique, or a new philosophy to make law enforcement that much easier, safer, and better. It seems not much has changed since I retired.
Back in the 1970’s and 80’s, many new products were introduced to make arresting and controlling people easier. The PR-24 side-handle baton, the ASP collapsible baton, and OC-pepper spray all come to mind. I remember the introduction of the next “best thing” in subject control called the stun gun: a device with two probes that administered a stunning electric shock that would “generate compliance from even the most committed or intoxicated resistor.” Departments everywhere were buying them, they were promoted at national events and they were seen as the future of policing. Until they weren’t. They were only capable of doing what Taser™ users would call a “drive stun.” They did work sometimes, of course, but believing them to be the answer to controlling all resistance subjects was hardly the answer. The same was true with Tasers™ and most other equipment meant to revolutionize the profession of policing. Most worked some of the time, but none worked all of the time. Many were impractical much of the time.
In the 80’s, a “new” concept of policing called Community Oriented Policing (COP) was introduced. Millions in government money was spent developing and implementing the COP philosophy. It should have been called “back to the future”, because it brought police back to their early roots when police worked smaller beats (usually on foot) and had intimate knowledge of the people, businesses, criminals, and problems on that beat. Beat officers were a familiar, important, and trusted part of the community. Ask any officer who worked as a “beat” or community policing officer and they will tell you how well it worked. Most of those advantages were eventually decimated by the implementation of patrol in motor vehicles, and the use of radios, which resulted in larger and less intimate patrol areas. That personal knowledge and trust was lost. Community policing sought to restore it. As a COP practitioner, I can tell you that, done right, it worked well.
It was during that time when police mountain bike patrol was instituted as a way to return to the advantages of small, intimate beats. As bike patrol flourished in the early 90’s, IPMBA was born, and police cyclist training programs were in high demand.
The advantages of bike patrol were nearly identical to those of beat officers walking the beat. Officers were easier to reach out and speak with. They could hear more, see more, smell more, and could easily become part of the fabric of the community. On the other hand, they could blend in and watch problem areas with no police car to hide. They had the mechanical advantage of speed to cover a slightly larger area, and when necessary, to pursue fleeing suspects more easily. Sayings like “You can run but you’re only going to go to jail tired” became popular and even appeared on tee-shirts. One of the reasons for the success of police bike patrol was the fact they were mostly proactive and prevention-oriented. They weren’t intended to be reactive units, and not expected to leave their beats to handle calls halfway across town.
As a result of the normal bike patrol experiences, IPMBA developed training programs with the idea that the vast majority (90% +) of bike patrol riding was done at what was called “PATROL speeds” – usually 8-10 mph (13-16 kph). These slower speeds allow officers to pay attention to and observe their surroundings, yet still be aware of and respond to the numerous hazards dangerous to a cyclist in traffic. By riding at PATROL speed, they are police officers first, and cyclists second.
In the early days of mountain bike patrol, many agencies deployed bike officers to deal with street level drug sellers. One officer would hide in a location, observe the drug sales, and radio the arrest team. The arrest team would move in to make arrests and recover evidence. Early IPMBA Instructors (and legends) Stu Bracken and Gene Miller of Tacoma (WA) Police Department were two such officers. They found that moving in quickly often resulted in chases and lost evidence. But moving in slowly, like they were on normal patrol, they could ride right up to the suspects, step off their bikes, and arrest them before they had a clue what was going on. Blazing speed was not a benefit – in fact, it was just the opposite.
On occasion (I estimate less than <10% of the time), bike officers have to ride at “RESPONSE speed” to pursue suspects or respond to nearby calls or requests for assistance. Patrolling at RESPONSE speeds doesn’t enable an officer to safely cycle in traffic AND adequately observe their beat area. The faster an officer rides in traffic, the more attention needs to be directed to the roadway and surrounding traffic due to their increased vulnerability. Riding fast in traffic is a full-time job, especially on a single-track vehicle.
In my time as a trainer and consultant, I have had many opportunities to help departments start new bike patrol units. I always advise that when selecting members, they prioritize selecting good, solid police officers over those who may be avid cyclists. Sadly, I have been made aware of a few avid cyclists who used bike patrol to merely add training miles, all at the expense of doing police work. Bike patrol doesn’t, or shouldn’t, require officers to put many miles on their bike each day. It’s merely a tool to help them police their beat. Mileage can vary greatly, and in my opinion, minimum mileage should never be a requirement. I still think of a bike patrol officer as a foot-bound beat cop who can move faster and farther when they need to. A mountain bike is a policing tool as much as it is transportation. In reality, much of effective “bike patrol” doesn’t even require riding the bike.
Several years ago the next “best thing” was introduced. The e-Bike was introduced to policing, highlighting the ability to go faster than on a regular bike, with the implication it can be better used as a response vehicle for handling distant radio calls without fatigue. The selling point tends to be ride “FURTHER and FASTER”. Remember: it was cars, radios, expanded beat areas, and reactive vs. proactive policing that killed the advantages that community policing rediscovered. Are e-Bikes, with their faster speed and ability to ride farther easier, going to kill it again?
With three classes of e-Bikes, and myriad similar-looking devices which don’t even meet the legal definition of an e-Bike, the allure of speed and potential to replace expensive squad cars has enticed many police departments. The fastest a legal Class 3 e-Bike is allowed to go under assist is 28 mph (45 kph). Classes 1 and 2 are limited to 20 (32), still faster than many cyclists ever ride. Anything advertised as being capable of speeds faster than 28 mph is an out of definition “electric vehicle” and may very well subject a department to liability in the event of a law suit. Who wants to be the first test case?
Full disclosure, I own a full suspension Class 1 e-Bike and I love it. I bought it to enable myself to continue to enjoy off-road mountain bike trails and maintain the “endurance” that 70+ years on earth has or might take from me. It flattens hills and shortens trails. But experience on my e-Bike has also enabled me to compare and contrast it with my regular mountain bikes, and then extrapolate it into police bike patrol use. Please note: I’m writing exclusively for police bike patrol usage. EMS can decide if my observations are valid for them or not.
E-Bikes have longer wheelbases to improve handling at higher speeds. This makes slow speed handling more difficult. If you wonder how it can make a difference to bike officers, try the 10-foot (3.05 meter) Box used in IPMBA training, and notice how much tighter and more difficult it suddenly becomes. Perhaps you remember being introduced to slow speed bike handling in your basic class and wondering, “When am I ever going to need this?” I bet it didn’t take long to realize how frequently you use those skills on patrol. How is an e-Bike going to help in those many slow speed situations, when a light and nimble bike is an advantage? You won’t need or use the motor or the battery. You might as well be dragging 30 pounds (13.6 kg) behind you.
Some officers have to lift their patrol bikes to carry them up stairs or place them on the bike racks of their patrol vehicles. The additional weight of an e-Bike makes it more difficult and cumbersome. Bike officers trained in Bicycle Response Team (BRT) tactics will quickly discover how difficult and impractical a heavy e-Bike is in their assorted off-bike tactics.
One of the “sexier” techniques taught in IPMBA training is a rolling dismount to a hook slide and/or pursuit. As speed increases, it becomes more difficult. Controlling the bike becomes crucial. Learning the technique on an e-Bike is probably no more difficult than on a standard bike; however, the wear-and-tear from repeatedly dropping it on the ground is more likely to take a toll on mid-drive motors, batteries, and related components. The additional weight, combined with the increased speed and momentum, will obviously put more stress on those expensive parts. When done under the increased speed and adrenalin of the street, things can get increasingly dangerous for the officer, the suspect, and the e-Bike. Performed on a non-defined, out-of-class “electric vehicle” product, liability could become a bigger problem if a suspect or rider is injured due to collision.
The bicycle has been described as the most efficient machine ever developed by man. I don’t know if that’s really true, but I do know that my multi-speed mountain bike can take me simply, easily, and more quickly over various terrain, with nothing more than my last meal to power it. I don’t have to charge it or worry about batteries, switches, or settings. I can pick it up and move it easily, whether I’m carrying it up a set of stairs or onto or off of my bike rack.
I can ride it easily through a crowd of people, down narrow or winding walkways, and between parked cars. If and when it falls to the ground, the worst thing to happen is my chain bouncing off a chainring. If I get a flat tire, I can easily remove the wheel and fix it with minimal tools. Not so with an e-Bike powered by a rear hub motor. You’d better have a long-handled 18mm wrench with you since a standard thru-axle or quick-release can’t be used on the rear.
I also know for the price of one high-quality e-Bike suitable for policing, I can buy two high-quality mountain bikes. Lastly, I know that my mountain bike will work efficiently and effectively for any kind of bike patrol work I would want to use it for. For more than 36 years, since its introduction in Seattle in 1987, the mountain bike has already proven to be the BEST THING for policing.
Kirby retired after 28 years with Coon Rapids (MN) Police Department. He has 14 years of police bike patrol experience. A founding member and past President of IPMBA, he was co-creator of the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course and Instructor Course. He contributed to both the Complete Guide to Police Cycling and the Complete Guide to Public Safety Cycling. He can be reached at kirby@kbeckconsulting.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own.
(c) 2024 IPMBA. This article appeared in the 2024 Product Guide issue of IPMBA News.