Bikes and Badges: Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office hosts bike instructor school
Posted:Thursday, October 2, 2014 11:31 pm
By Kendra Evensen, Idaho Press-Tribune
Photo: Law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians were able to improve their own bicycling skills and learn how to teach those skills to others in their communities during the International Police Mountain Bike Association Instructor School that was recently hosted by Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
IDAHO FALLS — Riding a bike may be considered child’s play.
But the skill can demand much more than a good sense of balance, especially if you’re an armed law enforcement officer who has to maneuver around obstacles while pursuing a suspect or patrolling an area.
That’s why Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted an International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) Instructor School. The school will help participating law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians improve their own bicycling skills and learn how to teach those skills to others in their communities.
Eight people from Florida, Washington, Ohio, Colorado and Idaho attended the event, said Doug Metcalf, bike team sergeant at Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
“Our main goal was to get a couple of guys to be instructors here,” Metcalf said, adding that the 13 deputies on the bike team went through a basic IPMBA course in 2010.
They’ve wanted an instructor of their own since that time. In the past, officers had to go to Utah for training. But because two of their deputies went through the five-day school, they can now teach the skills locally.
“It saves the county and taxpayers money,” Metcalf said. “Now we can teach our guys and other agencies that are close (and train) more often.”
The participants learned how to teach and perform a variety of skills during the instructor school.
They studied firearms safety and learned more about riding while responding to crimes or patrolling in the daytime and at night, among other skills. They were also drilled on the information they can now use to train others.
Metcalf believes there are a lot of advantages to having a well-trained bike team at the sheriff’s office.
“(On bikes) they can maneuver easier than when they’re in a car,” he said, adding that deputies can also take shortcuts through alleyways and public trails.
In addition, bikes are stealthier than patrol cars.
“Suspects don’t notice (you). They’re not looking for bikes as much as cars,” Metcalf said, adding that deputies on the bike team have been able to find suspects faster as a result.
Deputies on bikes can also hear things, like someone calling for help, and even smell things like marijuana use, that they wouldn’t normally pick up on in a vehicle.
When deputies are riding bikes, they are also more accessible to citizens who have questions or concerns.
“On a bike, you’re more approachable,” Metcalf said.
Bonneville County always has at least one of the bike team deputies on shift throughout the day. Although the deputies are not always out riding, they keep their bicycles with their vehicles so they can use them for patrolling or responding to crimes.