Asbury Park Police Launch Summer Bike Patrol Unit
Officers assigned to the unit include Kevin Gutierrez, James Hand, Alexander Mabe and Tess Martin. Look for them on their bikes!
By Carly Baldwin, The Patch, May 26, 2022
[Stock photo of a police officer on a bicycle (not the Asbury Park Police Dept.)] Stock photo of a police officer on a bicycle (not the Asbury Park Police Dept.) (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
ASBURY PARK, NJ — The Asbury Park Police Department will resume their Bicycle Patrol Unit for the 2022 summer season.
The bike patrols launched this past Monday, May 23.
Officers assigned to the unit include Kevin Gutierrez, James Hand, Alexander Mabe and Tess Martin. The community-oriented unit will be assigned to patrol the city on bicycle, allowing for higher visibility and interaction.
Last year, the bike patrol was launched as a first-ever pilot program.
"With the success of last year's pilot program, we are thrilled to see the APPD Bicycle Patrol Unit back this season," said Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn. "The program aims to make our officers more approachable and allows for a faster response time in addition to being environmentally friendly."
Bottom of Form
"We encourage residents to get to know our officers," said Asbury Park Police Lieutenant Lorenzo Pettway, of the Department's Community Relations Unit, "The APPD Bicycle Patrol Unit was designed to allow our officers to interact with the community on a more personal level as well as foster an understanding of the needs and traffic challenges that pedestrians and cyclists face."
Asbury Park Police had to attend a week-long Police Bicycle Patrol Training Course hosted by the Monmouth County Police Academy.
Officers were instructed in safe operations, proper techniques, basic bicycle maintenance and care, nutrition and the establishment of a fitness-training program for in-season and off-season training.