Port Lavaca police use bikes to save money
By Bianca Montes , March 8, 2015 at 11:39 p.m., Victoria Advocate
The Port Lavaca Police Department has reported a savings of almost $87,000 in fuel costs after rolling out its bike patrol program last year.
The program, which began in March 2014, provides officers the option to patrol on bike rather than car.
Six out of 15 officers are part of the voluntary patrol unit. An additional six officers have signed up to attend an upcoming training.
Officer Heather Montgomery said she recognized the savings while analyzing the department's fuel consumption. The savings equates to taking one patrol vehicle off the streets.
For the environmentally-minded station, the impact the bike program lends to its beach community is huge.
The program also speaks to the department's effort to get officers out of their cars and on the streets talking to people, Montgomery added.
Officer Lance Orsak, who's been with the department about a year, said being out on a bicycle helps him to be more proactive.
The bike, he said, allows him to be more accessible to the public.
"It's just a fun way to be out there," he said.
Chief James Martinez said he came to Port Lavaca with the vision to bring bike patrol to the department. The chief had previously been involved in a similar program while working at the Victoria Police Department.
The program took a little more than $100,000 to start and was funded through a grant Montgomery procured.
The department was awarded the DJ-Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, through the office of the governor, in the amount of $100,828.
Funds from the grant provided all that was needed to get started, including 10 Volcanic bikes, lighting for the bikes, uniforms, training and a sports utility vehicle with a rack to carry up to four bikes at a time.
"It's been a very cost-effective way to police," Martinez said, adding that bike patrol also allows the officers to expand their footprint and target areas that aren't vehicle friendly.
Because of the success, he said, the costs to maintain the program will be worked into the 2016 budget.
The department didn't need to allocate funding in 2015 to the program because enough equipment was purchased to get through two years, Montgomery added.
Currently the bike program is voluntary for officers, Martinez said. And, although the program has seen great success, it won't become its own unit, he added.
"It's one of the best ways for officers to connect with the community," he said. "Police in cars creates distance, and this is another way for us to provide access to the community."