Mansfield Police pedal for justice and community
By Dillon Carr, Staff Reporter, The Richland Source, May 23, 2015
Photo: [Bike Patrol] Mansfield police officers ride the during Mend Mansfield's Unity in the Community Rally and March on Saturday, April 11.
“The whole idea of this is when we’re riding around, we see people out and we’ll stop them. You know, talk to them, see what’s going on in the community,” said Officer Paul Lumadue
MANSFIELD, Ohio — After a long, dreary winter, bicycles are emerging from storage. Similarly, the Mansfield Police Department (MPD) decided earlier this year to dust off their bicycles to revive the department's bike patrol.
Twelve policemen have volunteered to participate in the department’s dormant bike patrol. According to Captain Bret Snavely, it's been shut down for quite some time.
“Our Community Policing Unit used to have 15 [bike patrollers] in the nineties,” said Snavely.
The MPD experienced cuts and reductions in finances because of the city’s fiscal emergency, bringing their police officer count down to 72. The department is authorized for 102 officers.
“Because of the Safety Levy and P.R.I.D.E. tax we were able to hire more police officers,” said Snavely. Although the department plans on hiring more throughout the year, the count is now up to 81. Snavely said this has enabled the department to put some of those shift officers on bike patrol.
“This has been on our ‘to-do list’ for a while. Late last year we asked some of the officers if they would like to get on bikes. We had around 12 volunteer,” said Snavely.
Bike patrols have been active since March in Mansfield, according to Snavely. The officers patrol the areas they were originally assigned, but instead of cars, they are on Cannondale bicycles. Being on a bicycle is a good way to interact with citizens, said Snavely.
“It gets them (police officers) out of their car to interact with people. They can cut through yards and they’re more mobile. They can hear and see more. A police officer on bike patrol might have a better opportunity to see crime,” said Snavely.
Y-Not Cycling Owner Eric Peterson said his shop worked on 10 of the Cannondale bicycles in October 2014. He also said a benefit of police on bikes is their visibility.
“They’re just able to see more of what’s going on in the community. They can roll up on somebody pretty stealthily,” said Peterson.
Community Policing Unit officer Paul Lumadue agreed, but he also added, “The whole idea of this is when we’re riding around, we see people out and we’ll stop them. You know, talk to them, see what’s going on in the community.” Lumadue has been with the Mansfield Police Department since the nineties. One of his partners, Matt Loughman, was part of the first Community Policing Unit from 1997 to 1998.
“We’re a little less intimidating too, when on a bike. People are more apt to come out and talk to us a little more than a cruiser flying by onto a call or whatever,” said Loughman.
“They see us more as part of the community instead of just out there enforcing,” added Lumadue.
Lumadue and Loughman pedaled alongside the marchers in the Unity in the Community Rally and March on Saturday, April 11. Other bike patrollers from the MPD rode the bicycles as well.
Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz spoke during the Unity in the Community Rally and March. He told the community to get used to seeing police on bicycles in the community.
“Get used to it. They’re going to be out there. They’re going to be in your neighborhoods, they’re going to be riding around. We’re going to make that happen,” said Coontz.
“The purpose of them being on those bicycles isn't necessarily crime reduction. They’re primary mission is to get off that bicycle and talk to the youth, talk to the elderly, talk to anybody who will talk to them,” he added.