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Police revive bike patrols after homicide outside Cape TJ Maxx

By Dave Elias, Chief political reporter, NBC 2 News, November 24, 2014

CAPE CORAL, FL -

Cape Coral police revived a program to crack down on crime, after last Tuesday's fatal shooting of a TJ Maxx store manager.

Although a police officer was nearby - by the time he got to the scene he suspect was on the loose - launching an ongoing hunt for this killer.

Police told us they may have had a better chance of catching the suspect if they'd been on bicycles.

Planting officers on bikes has been in the works for some time - we're told that those patrols will focus on plazas like the one where the TJ Maxx Manager Alfred Griffiths was fatally shot last week.

"We actually got some of our bikes out of mothballs and retro fitted them with new equipment and made sure they're road worthy," said CCPD Sgt. Dana Coston.

Whether it's riding down stairs or quick maneuvering on the street or in remote areas, there are no training wheels for these officers.

"It's been a long time since I've been on a mountain bike or a BMX style bicycle," said Cape Coral Police Sgt. John Kulko. "It's also going to be a good tool for crime prevention."

A hope is to prevent crimes like the one in the TJ Maxx parking lot last week that killed Griffiths after he was fatally shot in the head outside the store and the suspect got away from the parking lot where it unfolded.

"We can sneak up. We can be quiet. We can basically become almost invisible. It also puts us at a higher advantage than cars when running through parking lots. We can see above cars and stuff like that," said Shann Luken, Law Enforcement Bicycle Association.

Luken said an officer on a bike can be very effective. "The bike provides something the car doesn't. Number one…More face to face with the citizens."

It is something officers said they're ready for.

"The officers are ready to go and excited to get on the road," said Kulko.

Officers hope to have their bikes on the street before Christmas and they say they will target busy plazas during big events like Red White and Boom and the Annual Coconut Festival.

Since asking the public to contact them, CCPD said they have received 113 tips and counting regarding Griffiths' homicide.

Watch the video:  http://www.nbc-2.com/story/27471438/police-upping-patrols-after-tj-maxx-store-manager-homicide#.VHSWlj8bgl4

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