LPD bike unit receives good reviews
Photo: Lexington police officers Jason Munger (from left), Jason Pardue and Ben Hartman are the certified LPD bike patrol officers. Donnie Roberts/The Dispatch
By Darrick Ignasiak, The Dispatch, December 25, 2015
Lexington NC -- Nearly three years after being reestablished, the Lexington Police Department’s bike unit is receiving praise from officials.
After a five-year hiatus, the bicycle patrol back returned in mid-2013. The unit has grown from initially having two bike officers to now having six.
“It’s been great,” Lexington Police Chief Mark Sink said. “It’s a great tool for us to be in a little closer contact with the residents and the neighborhoods. Officers have a better field of view and can hear things going on, can stop and talk to the kids and the residents as they pass by. I’ve had a lot of good response from the neighborhoods about it and the retail establishments.”
Sgts. Ronnie Best and Matt Leonard and officers Jason Munger, Ben Hartman, Jason Pardue and Jonathan Forrest make up the unit. The officers are utilized during the shopping season, in addition to events in uptown Lexington. They have been able to quickly respond to incidents.
“The Lexington Police Department’s Bike Patrol is a great asset to Uptown Lexington,” Uptown Lexington Director Rebekah Cansler McGee said. “They patrol all of our events from the Summer Strolls to Christmas Open House. Their presence is always very visible, and if we ever need them, they are right there. I definitely feel that uptown Lexington is safer when the bike unit is patrolling our area.”
The bicycles are equipped with lights and sirens. Sink said they are used year-round. Officers are on the bikes at different times in addition to their regular duties.
“It’s a great tool,” LPD Capt. Michael Hunt said. “Officers get around in the parking lots real quick.”
LPD officials said they saw the need to grow the unit almost immediately. All of the bicycles are utilized during major events, such as the Barbecue Festival. They have been deployed in areas where there are repeat crimes.