Celebrating Cycling in the
Capital
Cycling in the capital continues to
thrive - and not just with the general public. Emergency services around
the capital are turning to cycling as a quicker, more convenient way to get
through congested streets and pedestrianised areas when chasing offenders
or rushing to the aid of injured Londoners.
At the second annual 999 London Cycling Awards at City Hall on Wednesday
23 February 2005, the stars of the emergency services' cycling teams were
rewarded for their hard work and commitment to cycling and to improving community
relations through increasing the profile of the emergency services in local
communities.
The Metropolitan and City Police forces and the London Ambulance Service
have a growing number of serving police officers, traffic wardens, community
support officers, paramedics and emergency medical technicians cycling the
capital's streets. The emergency services enjoy higher visibility and faster
response times, while Transport for London enjoys the benefits of raising
the profile of cycling in the city while keeping London's streets safe and
keeping traffic moving.
Jeroen Weimar, Head of Enforcement at Transport for London, said:
"Transport for London is committed to increasing cycling in the capital by
80% by 2010. The number of cyclists is soaring, helping improve the health
of London and Londoners. The use of bicycles by the emergency services also
provides a good role model for the rest of London to get on their bikes.
"Their invaluable service helps London's communities and TfL is committed
to supporting the greater use of bicycles by the emergency services."
Jenny Jones, the Mayor's Road Safety Ambassador, said:
"It's wonderful to hear about the amazing things the nominees for the awards
have done in the course of their ordinary work. They perform their duties
with real dedication and enthusiasm and have achieved outstanding results.
Just to be in the running for these awards is a tribute to their abilities
and performance.
"I'm really pleased to see how all three organisations have incorporated
the cycling teams into their mainstream operations in the last year to achieve
fantastic results, and look forward to seeing them build upon these successes
in the future."
Police Cycling Award: awarded to a cyclist
or cycle team from London's police services who has demonstrated excellence
through the use of bicycles in police work:
JOINT WINNERS
City of Westminster Taskforce, Metropolitan Police Service
led by Sergeant Ray Bloye
· Achieving police targets: in 13 months the team has arrested over
800 people for a variety of offences, and have recovered many stolen or
prohibited articles.
· Business efficiency: use of bikes at major events gives increased
mobility and visibility, meaning fewer officers are required.
· Building community relations: bicycles are ice-breakers with local
youths and hard to reach groups. The team have formed a strong partnership
and mutual respect with monthly CHARM demonstrators which has reduced traffic
disruption and the number of arrests.
· Integration/development: the bicycle team form an integral part of
the overall policing team in Westminster, working closely with foot and vehicle
patrols.
Paul Coston, City of London Police
· Achieving police targets: Paul has made 47 arrests, issued 250 fixed
penalty notices and executed 360 stop and searches this year, and has cycled
over 2000 miles in doing so. He has received several merit certificates for
being instrumental in assuring the safety of a woman attempting to commit
suicide, and arresting suspects relating to the terrorism act - his swift
and decisive action helped gather a huge amount of intelligence.
· Integration/development: Paul trained four new officers and was
instrumental in the development of Special Officers on police cycles. He
arranged training and cycling kit for the new Special Constable, the first
Special to ride in London.
Cycling in the Community Award: awarded
to a cyclist or cycle team from all represented bodies who has demonstrated
excellence in improving community relations through the use of the bicycle
in his/her profession.
Hackney South Cycle Squad led by Sergeant Matthew Devereau, Metropolitan
Police Service
· Links with the community have been so effective at building respect
for the police team that the community is now helping them do their job,
providing them with a steady flow of intelligence about local crime.
· This has been achieved in a particularly difficult patch, within just
12 - 18 months.
· The South Cycle Squad working times reflect peak street crime periods
and the squad used highly visible patrolling to deter offending, as well
as focussing their attention on crime hotspots.
· The SCS have made over 200 arrests for a broad range of offences and
have recovered stolen property and weapons including firearms.
Cycling in the Ambulance Service Award:
awarded to an operational member of the London Ambulance Service Cycle Response
Unit, who has demonstrated excellence in meeting London's emergency healthcare
needs - JOINT WINNERS
Cath Hodson, Emergency Medical Technician, London Ambulance Service
· Cath attended a call outside the normal operational area which she
recognised to be from a regular caller. She arrived on scene within four
minutes, cycling from the lobby at the Waterloo HQ, down steps and through
traffic to get to the patient. Having assessed the patient, Cath confirmed
there were no immediately life threatening medical problems and as the patient
was able to walk to the hospital, an ambulance was not required.
Keith Plummer, Emergency Medical Technician, London Ambulance Service
· On arrival at the scene of an accident involving a motorcycle and
a car, Keith established a safe area within which he could treat the patient
by positioning his bike on the busy road (Shaftesbury Avenue) to fend off
on-coming traffic.
· He provided professional medical help to the injured parties.
· He called all the necessary assistance and managed the assistance
upon arrival - co-ordinating the helicopter service, the ambulance and the
police.
999 London Cycling Award: the top individual
award presented to an individual from all represented bodies who has done
the most to develop cycling within their organisation.
Justin Dixon, MPS Physical Education Branch, Metropolitan Police Service
· Justin made the biggest change within his own organisation within
the last year.
· In developing a professionally accepted training course that meets
the demands of all, he overcame what was an important hurdle preventing the
wider use of bicycles in the MPS.
· His work has been pivotal in mainstreaming cycling in the MPS.
· He has successfully resolved conflicting operational requirements
to devise a scheme that met health and safety needs without compromising
everyday operations.
· The scheduling of training courses and the structure for down training
means there are now no limits to the number of police officers that can be
trained as bike officers.
999 Cycling Development Award: awarded to
the organisation from all represented bodies who has done the most to develop
cycling within their field of work.
Metropolitan Police Service
· The development of new standards in cycle training, clothing and equipment
have propelled the use of pedal cycles from a bottom up concept to a corporate
model, incorporated into the mainstream operation of the MPS.
The use of bikes by London's emergency services agencies grew significantly
from 2003 to 2004.
· City of London Police expanded their cycling team from 17 to 21 staff,
and moved the concept of police on bikes through the ranks, bringing into
operation the first Special Constable trained as a cycle officer. The team
made over 200 arrests, 2000 stop and searches and issued over £40,000
worth of fines for motor and cycling offences.
· The London Ambulance Service doubled the size of their cycling team
from 8 to 16 staff and successfully completed a pilot at Heathrow Terminal
4, securing a permanent team in the terminal. They finalised the National
Cycling Response Unit policy, procedures and recruitment package; and also
set up the necessary support systems to encourage other LAS staff to cycle.
· The Metropolitan Police Service increased the number of bicycles available
from 380 to over 400, and successfully introduced bikes to the TOCU and Royal
Parks Police. They established the necessary organisational infrastructure
to bring cycling into mainstream MPS operations, and finalised the MPS package
of standards for officers on bikes relating to cycle training, clothing,
bikes and maintenance. A mandatory bespoke MPS cycle training package has
been developed and approved, which will train approximately 1,500 police
officers, community support officers and traffic wardens in the next year.
Source: Transport for London,
www.tfl.gov.uk. This
article appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of IPMBA
News. |
