Alton Police Department gets new bike patrol unit
by Sydney Hernandez, Channel 4, Valley Central.com, Tuesday, July 24th 2018
Alton TX -- The Alton Police Department is going the extra mile to make sure every part of their city is patrolled.
The department has just launched a new police bike patrol unit, putting five officers on the streets on bike.
The officers have completed multiple trainings for the unit, endured a physical strength training test and are still going through several more to make sure they are up to date.
The officers will be patrolling parks, neighborhoods and other places to make sure they build a one-on-one relationship with the people of Alton.
"We're already patrolling with our units, but with the bikes, this is just an extra step of face-to-face interaction," said Sgt. George Ibarra with the Alton Police Department. "Somebody can wave us down, but if you're on the bike, it's just an extra step to be that close to the community."
The next step for the bike patrol is new sirens and lights on the bikes.
"Be on the look out for us, we're ready," said Sgt. Ruben Jaramillo with the Alton Police Department
The officers will debut their new unit at Alton's National Night Out on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. to interact with the community.
The event is free to the public, along with live music, food, and fun.
Giveaways will also happen at the event.
The bike patrol unit has already begun, so you can expect to see the officers on their bikes throughout the community.