Aiken police receive gift of high-tech electric bicycle

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By Matthew Enfinger, the Aiken Standard, February 14, 2020

Chief Charles Barranco, right, Master Public Safety Officer Stephanie Barbee, second from right, and Lt. Brian Kelly, third from right, with the Aiken Department of Public Safety accept a donated electric patrol bike from Coker Day (middle left), Freeman Coleman (second left) and Austin Ferguson (far left) with the Pedego Electric Bikes Aiken. Staff photo by Shiann Sivell.

The Aiken Department of Public Safety accepted an electric patrol bicycle donated by a local business during Monday's Aiken City Council meeting.

Coker Day, owner of Pedego Electric Bikes Aiken, said the business ordered two police patrol bikes for the USC Aiken campus to try out.

After the bikes were returned, Coker realized he only needed one of the bikes for future demonstrations, so he reached out to Public Safety to see if the agency would be interested in receiving the donation.

The approximately $5,000 bike comes with all the bells and whistles, Day said.

The all-terrain bike is equipped with hydraulic disc breaks, police lights, siren, brighter head and tail lights and a battery life up to 60 miles per charge.

The bike also uses pedal assist which helps the rider pedal with power from an electric motor.

"It's so powerful, if you didn't want to pedal at all you wouldn't have to," Day said.

The newly donated bike will help Public Safety with revamping its bike program and getting everyone in the department's Community Service Division certified as bike officers, Lt. Brian Kelly with ADPS said.

Bikes allow police officers to break down barriers that patrols in vehicles can cause, Kelly said.

"Even if you roll down the window, you're still in the car," Kelly said. "You still have the engine noise and you don't have the sense to be able to hear what's going on around you as well. On a police mountain bike, you really can get under some crimes and get into some areas you're not normally able to."

Bike officers will be used throughout the city, and the donated Pedego electric bike will allow officers to travel throughout the city without being exhausted.

"It's going to be a big help," Kelly said. "It's going to expand our range in the city. Anytime we get support from the community it's a great thing, especially in this day and age."