‘Being on a bike is a great way to get into a community’: Bike Cops for Kids officer given surprise
By Kevin Duran, KSTP Minneapolis Updated: January 14, 2020 06:39 PM
A Minneapolis police officer is getting national recognition for his work in the community.
Officer Mike Kirchen is co-founder of the Bike Cops for Kids program. He was featured on the Facebook Watch show Returning the Favor, hosted by Mike Rowe. The program, which aired Monday night was called "Returning the Favor: A Bicycle Built for Blue."
"And we were just put on the national, if not global stage, just by being on the Mike Rowe show," said Kirchen.
Officer Kirchen has been riding with MPD's Bike Cops for Kids program for 10 years. "Just being on a bike is a great way to get into a community and get to know people," he said.
Kirchen pedals his bike around north Minneapolis, engages with kids and lets them know they're safe and that cops care.
When Mike Rowe heard about Kirchen's work in the community he wanted to visit and thank him. But they had to trick Kirchen to make it happen.
"So then it was really a series of lies," said Kirchen. "A fake production company out there in New York; fake names. And that's how they set up the show. And then they come here and you bike around with Mike Rowe and at the end of the day they do what's called the big reveal and they surprise you with some cool stuff."
Rowe and his crew visited last September. What's funny is Kirchen says he didn't know Rowe was coming and had no idea who he was until after he got here. The big surprise happened at Webber Park.
"And they presented me with a check for $25,000 and 200 brand new kids bikes," said Kirchen. "So, it was really cool. It happened on Sept. 26th, so we got cops all over the city and they were handing out bikes just before the holidays."
Kirchen believes Bike Cops for Kids would work in any city.
"We would love to see Bike Cop for Kids replicated in cities around the country. I mean, any department could do this. All you need is a couple cops on bikes, you don't even need the money. Just get out on bikes and connect with kids in a positive way."
"Returning the Favor" is an American reality web television series that premiered on Aug. 28, 2017, on Facebook Watch. It follows Rowe as he travels across the U.S. in search of people who are giving back to their communities.