Bedford deputies develop rural bike patrols to enhance law enforcement

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Bedford County deputies are adapting normal techniques to enhance their law enforcement work in growing communities

By Tim Saunders, WDBJ 7, February 27, 2015

BEDFORD, Va. - It's not uncommon to see police in large cities riding around on two wheels, but bike patrols are rarely used in rural areas.

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office is bucking that trend. Deputies are adapting normal techniques to enhance their law enforcement work in growing communities like Forest.

"The population is going up and the criminal element is trying to exploit that," said field deputy Jeremy Gardner, who has seen an increase in crimes like car break-ins and drug sales in the Forest area.

Catching criminals "in the act" can sometimes be difficult in a patrol car

"They see a vehicle and they just stop doing what they're doing," Gardner said.

Gardner is helping the sheriff's office develop a solution, using a method that's normally associated with urban police departments.

Starting later this year, six deputies will patrol on bicycles.

"We'll be stealth," said Gardner. "We'll be absolutely quiet and we'll be fast."

The bikes won't replace cars. Deputies will use a mix of both.

"If we're out patrolling and we need to respond to another portion of the county, we can pedal our bikes back to our patrol vehicles," said Gardner.

Forest isn't the only area where the bikes will be used. The sheriff's office is hoping to do these patrols in every corner of the county.

"The utilization of the bikes will give us one more arrow in our quiver of law enforcement techniques," said Sheriff Mike Brown, who is in the process of securing grant money for the bike program. He estimates the effort will cost between $8,000 and $10,000

Deputies will get training from the nearby Bedford Police Department, which started its own bike patrols in 2006.

When implemented this spring, Gardner believes the bicycle initiative will give the sheriff's office more visibility.

"When we're on a bicycle, we'll be able to speak with citizens much more than when we're in a patrol vehicle," Gardner explained.

Watch the video: http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/bedford-deputies-develop-rural-bike-patrols-to-enhance-law-enforcement/31529010