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More Clermont cops patrolling on bikes

Bike cops Pictured from left to right, Officers Drew Evans, Michelle Rogers and David Colon are pictured during their patrol at Clermont’s new Lake Hiawatha Preserve park.

Posted: Monday, December 8, 2014 6:00 am, The Daily Commercial

Not only is the city of Clermont “bicycle friendly,” so is its police department.

Of the 61 officers in the department, a dozen are certified and have received special training for the department’s Police Bicycle Unit, according to city spokeswoman Doris Bloodsworth.

Chief Charles Broadway said during the past year, the Bicycle Unit officers received an intense 40-hour training hosted by the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA), which is certified through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

“We have seen a big increase in bicycle riders in our community, and we also find that our bicycle unit is ideal for the many triathlons and other sporting events in Clermont,” Broadway said in a press release.

The Clermont Police Bicycle Unit, led by Sgt. Jason Sayre, also deploys its officers on bicycles in events where there are heavy crowds, such as the Light Up Clermont events currently taking place and the city’s signature event, Pig on the Pond, which draws more than 30,000 people to Waterfront Park.

Officer Michelle Rogers, a member of the Community-Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving (COPPS) unit and one of the certified bike officers, said bicycles offer many advantages.

“The bicycles are great during the holidays when we’re patrolling shopping centers and businesses to make sure there aren’t any thefts of break-ins,” Rogers said.

Rogers also noted that the bicycles are more “stealth” and allow officers to deliver warrants or conduct surveillance more safely because they draw less attention and are far more maneuverable than patrol cars in tight spaces.

The Bicycle Unit is an important part of City Manager Darren Gray’s Downtown-Waterfront Task Force initiative, since they can easily patrol the city’s popular fitness trail and Waterfront Park. Officer Drew Evans, who is often seen patrolling the downtown and waterfront area, is part of the task force.

Recently, the city of Clermont and south Lake communities earned the national League of American Bicyclists Association’s “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation.

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