Avon Police Department wins electric power bike to assist in patrols
By Linda Gandee, Cleveland.com, Updated Aug 17, 2020; Posted Aug 17, 2020
Avon Police Capt. Larry Fischbach, left, and patrol officer David Layne are evaluating the Recon Police Powered Bike, which Layne won in a contest. (Photo Courtesy of City of Avon)
AVON, Ohio -- Police departments are always looking for new tools to help them carry out their duties. But usually they don’t depend on winning something that will do the job.
Avon Police Department Capt. Larry Fischbach and patrol officer and school resource officer David Layne are responsible for the addition of a Recon Police Powered Bike to the department’s inventory.
Layne approached Fischbach in May about entering a contest in Police Magazine for an electric bicycle. Fischbach thought it was a great idea, but neither really thought they would win the contest. Surprisingly, they were notified of their win just a couple of weeks ago.
So, what will the bike bring to the police department?
“There’s a lot more people in the parks and walkers walking the trails,” said Public Information Officer Jim Drozdowski. “The presence of the officers is a safety measure, as well as a conversation piece.”
Drozdowski said Layne uses his current pedal-powered bike, one of five in the department, to patrol residential and business areas The electric bike will allow for faster response to calls, and “with its heavy-duty design, (the officers) can easily take it off road on the many trails in and around Avon when needed,” Drozdowski said.
Layne works one-half to three-fourths of his shift on a bike. He noted that he now has about 30 miles on the electric bike and it still has a good charge.
The bike weighs about 75 pounds, said Drozdowski, as opposed to the other bikes coming in at about 25 pounds each. It has a range of about 50 miles per charge.
But the biggest aspect for the officers is that it takes a lot less work to ride the bike.
“It’s very quiet,” said Drozdowski. “It has a heavy-duty frame and the tires can go on trails. We can get into more difficult areas more quickly, and response times are quicker.”
The department is evaluating the electric bike for its overall efficiency and may consider a gradual replacement of the other four regular bikes. Cost for the electric bike runs about $1,500.
Drozdowski indicated that the move to electric bikes may signal another partnership police officers can have with residents.
“Anytime residents partner with their local police agency, it is a benefit for the entire community,” he said. “It shows the residents have trust in their local law enforcement.”