An Unimagined Farewell
by Todd Prevost, PCI #650 (former)
Lafourche Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office
It was the summer of 1999. I was one of three selected by my agency to attend the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course being instructed by then-Lt. Stanley Cosper of Tulane University Police Department, in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA). At age 23, I had only been in law enforcement for three years; this was an exciting yet very nervous time for me! It would be the first course I would attend since the academy, which is held by my agency. So not only was this my first supplemental career training, but it was also with an agency which was not familiar to me.
Reporting for the first day of that course was something I will never forget, mostly because we were sent there grossly underequipped. We had old bicycles that were two sizes too large and no bike patrol uniforms. We wore BDU pants and t-shirts with “SHERIFF” printed on them that we were able to pick up at a nearby law enforcement supply. The lack of preparedness was because bike patrol was new to our agency. The three of us had just been selected after applying for two newly opened positions as bicycle deputies. I can recall Lt. Cosper’s big eyes and the smirk of disbelief on his face as he assessed our equipment; he even had to loan one of his bikes for use by our third counterpart.
The course was phenomenal. I couldn’t get enough of riding or working obstacles. And the night ride was something to remember as we stealthily rolled through the dark and infamous Calliope Housing Development, littered with loiterers who stared in disbelief at all the bike cops. Vehicular cycling around the busy NOLA streets was unforgettable as well. So was riding the French Quarter and Riverwalk, where I can vividly recall our fearless leader, The Lieutenant Stanley Cosper, who, during a “follow-the-leader exercise” dismount to transition into a bike carry up a set of stairs had been stopped in his tracks as he literally ran into a fixed sign, which put him on the ground (isn’t it great when an instructor has a mishap?!) To bring the recollections of my IPMBA certification course to a close, my partner and I rode those ragged, too-tall, heavy bikes like no one else in the course; we excelled and from that point forward, there would be no stopping me!
Upon returning to duty, another deputy and I were assigned the full-time bike patrol duties; the third guy was listed as a supplemental rider, to be called upon as needed. I began my bike patrol assignment in September 1999 and it proved to be the best decision. It enabled me patrol flexibility, and my jurisdiction, roughly 20 miles wide and 100 miles long, provided more than enough variety of patrol areas. Whether I was working day or night, I loved my job. I was able to take part in countless special assignments/operations and ultimately created an entire new section designated the “POP Squad” (Problem Oriented Policing). Over the years, building on my successes as a bike cop, I attended many out-of-area schools relating to street crimes, high risk event planning, advanced SWAT, and my most coveted, the IPMBA Instructor Course.
In 2002, my-then partner and I reported to San Antonio, Texas, where we met the most outgoing T.J. Richardson and Shiner Bock (yes, the beer). T.J. would be our lead instructor for the course. We got an immediately sense of his personality when he promptly dubbed us “Boudreaux and Thibodaux*”, which stuck with us throughout the course. Naturally I passed the course and became IPMBA Police Cyclist Instructor (PCI) #650. I will never forget those times with T.J. and his co-instructor, the late Mike Goetz of the Seattle Police Department; the two complemented each other perfectly and made for a heck of a pair. *Boudreaux and Thibodeaux are two fictional, humorous characters from Southern Louisiana experiencing life’s trials and tribulations.
Years passed and I conducted many courses, instructing public safety cyclists from all across Louisiana and Mississippi, ranging from police departments and sheriff’s offices to military police. Our bicycle fleet was transformed from the raggedy old Mongoose bikes we certified with to twelve police bikes, including Fuji and my long-coveted favorite, Volcanic. Let me just add, getting approval to purchase new bikes at all – much less Volcanic – was no easy task considering none can be purchased from local bike shops. But I overcame the obstacles and was able to obtain four Volcanic bicycles for the fleet, two of which were purchased by donations for those specific bikes. Not only had we improved the quality of our bicycle fleet, but we were able to maintain it in exceptional working order in the in-house bike shop granted me after I completed the IPMBA Maintenance Officer Course in 2013. Even if maintenance lessons come at the cost of an ER visit when the brake rotor slices off your fingertip! See “Maintenance Lesson #1: Do Not Rush” in IPMBA News, Vol. 23, #1, Winter 2014.
Easter Sunday 2015, my wife, who was also an IPMBA-certified Police Cyclist (I can proudly add that she was the first female patrol lieutenant with our agency) was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Her harsh treatments and long-term hospitalization forced me to slow down at work, remove all of the extras from my plate, and focus on her and the three children. After remission, the AML returned after only 10 months following her bone marrow transplant; she passed on December 20, 2016. The loss was difficult and the life adjustments were another thing to contend with; I had to step back from my involvement with so many things at work. This included my bicycle time and my ability to host courses of instruction.
I have never fully recovered my work flow with bicycle duties; when the oil field declined, our tax revenue suffered and we made a few cutbacks. We consolidated two programs into one, the bike patrol section and the POP Squad section lost personnel, and what remained was dubbed the “POPcycle Patrol”. We were still super-successful with the program despite it being only two people, the POP Squad guy and me; after all, I was one of the founding members of the POP Squad.
Now at 43 years old, I have parked my beloved white Volcanic Patrol bike, left my departmental bicycle shop, and hung up my duty belt. This February, a position opened for an Investigator at our District Attorney’s Office. Our DA is our jurisdiction’s first female DA and is well-known to us LEOs, having served many years as an Assistant Prosecutor. Although I thought highly of the DA, when I heard about the open position, I was immediately dismissive since I was happy with my current POPcycle position, and a job change was not something I had been considering.
The option weighed on my mind. After just a few days, I was all about the possibility of a new opportunity and the ability to add another chapter to this career. I wanted the position so much, and hoped I could be a success there, just as my late wife had been when she created the Sheriff’s “Safetyville” exhibit for the Bayou Country Children’s Museum located in Thibodaux, La.
I interviewed on the evening of March 2, and within the hour, was notified I had been selected. This is when the weight of turning in my bike patrol status really struck me. So, for the time being, my legs will be idle and my buttocks will not be in a saddle for patrol. But I have hanging on my walls nine certificates of commendation, two distinguished service medals, and a medal for valor, all of which I can attribute to my time in the bike patrol program, which molded me into the fine public servant I have become.
I look forward to the years to come working for my Sheriff and District Attorney as an Investigator; I look forward to setting the benchmark for the position so that when I leave, the next person will be nervous about trying to fill my shoes. I am sad, however; saddened that for the time being it will not be possible to attend another IPMBA Conference. I will remain part of the IPMBA family, and one day, I will again be a conference attendee and competition course competitor, perhaps when I reach the “old man” age category.
To the new bike patrol personnel, do good! The community will love you, your agency will realize the asset you can be, and your career will be rewarding beyond what you can now imagine.
Todd attended the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course in 1999, the Instructor Course in 2002, and the Maintenance Officer Course in 2013. He also attended the 2007 and 2008 IPMBA Conferences in Baton Rouge and Indianapolis, respectively. During his tenure as an IPMBA Instructor, he taught approximately 20 IPMBA courses. In 2011, he was part of the effort to pass legislation recognizing police bicycles as emergency vehicles in the state of Louisiana. He can be reached at todd-prevost@lpso.net.
Photos courtesy Todd Prevost.
(c) 2020 IPMBA. This article appeared in the 2020 IPMBA News Product Guide.