New Worcester Police bicycle patrol aimed at making officers more approachable
Photo: Worcester Police created a new bicycle patrol to add to community policing in the city. (Scott J. Croteau | MassLive.com)
By Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com, June 1, 2015
WORCESTER -- The newly-created Worcester Police Bicycle Patrol has only been on the roads for about a month, but the officers said they are seeing the difference between being on two-wheels instead of in a cruiser.
What they are finding is people are more willing to come up and chat, and that's exactly one of the goals of the 18-officer patrol.
"We are much more approachable," Sgt. Michael Cappabianca said. "People are constantly talking to us, telling us what is going on in their neighborhood and we'll respond to it."
The officers cover about 20 miles a night and hit different areas throughout the city. Some areas they check after groups request the added presence, other areas are just known locations where a little extra attention could help.
Cappabianca said the crew is free to chat and ride through more areas because they don't have to respond to regular calls for service. That doesn't mean the officers are ready to make an arrest. In fact, Officer Joseph Francese tracked down a robbery suspect already.
The officer was riding his bicycle last month when a man said he was just robbed. Francese was able to track down the suspect with the help of other officers.
Francese said he has noticed the difference in how people receive him while riding on the bicycle instead of in a cruiser.
"We can go down any neighborhood and people will actually come up to you, people that normally won't," he said. "It's fun. We just want to let them know we are out there for everyone."
For Police Chief Gary Gemme, the bicycle patrol adds another layer to the department's community policing efforts. Officers already walk foot beats, attend neighborhood watch groups and some areas of the city's received Community Policing District designations.
"We believe in the community policing model. If you are going to build trust and legitimacy with the community, you have to be a community policing department," Gemme said. "The only real effective way to do that is to have that personal contact with the public over time."
His department knows the cruiser can be seen as a barrier. Officers in cruisers try to get out when they can, but with staffing issues and having to be ready for calls, it can be difficult. Officers on the bikes can also ride into hard to get to areas such as alleys.
With recent reports on policing stating building trust and community policing are key in this era, Gemme believes the new patrol and other efforts heed that call.
"The stronger the relationships we can develop with the community, whether it is on bike patrol or foot patrol, the more the public is going to cooperate with the police department, provide us with information that keeps them safe and the community safe," he said.