Very Important Program for Police
Cyclists
by Officer Jeff Shari, PCI#730/EMSCI
#141
Cincinnati Police Division
After being newly assigned as the bike
coordinator for the Cincinnati Police Department, my first concern was to
identify problems within the unit. I began riding with different members
and started noticing cycling mistakes that are usually addressed in the basic
cycling course. At first, it was simple mistakes such as improper gear ratios
for hills and not using the power pedal position for curbs; but then I noticed
tactical mistakes such as improper contact/cover. As I voiced my concern,
one officer, an eight-year veteran on bikes, mentioned "well, we haven't
practiced some of this stuff since bike school." Then it hit me; we need
training!
Training? Where to start? My first problem was the administration. How could
I convince the administration to allow me to take 85 officers out of their
assignments for additional bicycle training? The key phrase used by most
police academies is "continuous training" or "continuous education." All
officers receive annual in-service training and firearms training. Special
units such as SWAT, K-9, and Mounted Units are always training. Why do they
get training? Liability! The chance of a suspect, civilian or an officer
getting injured is higher if an officer is not trained properly. The last
thing a city wants to hear from an attorney is "failure to train." But after
thinking it through and preparing for a battle, all it took was a written
request. Your administration can't think of everything. Sometimes you have
to think for them and suggest ideas. What's the worst that can happen? They'll
say "no," and you will come up with another way to ask!
Now that I had the permission, I needed a program. First, I researched any
additional training I could find. I think I can enter the IPMBA web site
in my sleep now. Once my research was completed, I began my lesson plan.
After it was written and scrutinized by the instructor cadre, and myself,
we went over it again. We implemented the training in April, with great success.
DAY ONE: The first four hours were easy. I got with my range master and used
normal basic firearms training: reviewing stance, trigger pull, and line
of sight techniques. I was basically letting the students warm up and get
familiar with their weapons. The only stipulation was that the officers had
to be in their bike uniforms - I believe in training as if it were real.
After the firearms familiarization, we introduced the bicycle. I tried to
think of every scenario I have encountered or could possibly encounter on
a bike. For example, officer needs assistance, a scenario in which you would
ride hard for a short distance, dismount, and run a short way before encountering
your target. As we practiced all these scenarios, my number one concern was
safety. In any firearms training, even though you want it to seem as real
as possible, you can never overlook safety.
DAY TWO: Now that tactics were taken care of, "basic skills" was my next
obstacle. Like most instructors, I faced the problem of how to teach a basic
skill without boring the students, most of whom are veteran bike officers.
So I thought, "what does every cyclist want to do? Ride, of course!" I mapped
out an 18-mile route and implemented all the basic skills within that route.
I didn't even do a classroom session; instead, I announced reminders at the
top of each of the three hills that were implemented into the ride. This
gave the students a chance to rest while I worked in my lesson. The ride
included group riding techniques, gear ratios, road hazards, pedal retention,
and even health and fitness. After a long lunch, I reviewed low speed skills,
had a cone course competition, and finally, hosted a roundtable discussion.
Listening to the feedback during the roundtable was great. There were no
complaints, and everyone enjoyed the training. But there has been more than
just verbal feedback. I have noticed what seems to be a newly energized bike
unit. Officers are becoming more active, supervisors have created task forces
and the media has again become interested in the bike unit. I have found
that continuous education for bike officers is essential for maintaining
an active and effective bike unit.
In addition, one of my instructors and myself attended the IPMBA Intermediate
Cyclist Course (recently renamed Public
Safety Cyclist II Course - ed.) during the IPMBA conference, which
gave us all kinds of new ideas for next years in-service training. I can't
wait to try them out!
Jeff Shari can be reached at
jeffrey.shari@cincinnati.oh.gov.
© 2004 IPMBA. This article first appeared in the Summer 2004 issue
of IPMBA News. |
