Bikes Offer Stealthy Approach to Wheeling Police Work
Vehicles Keep Things Moving During Special Events
Photo by Fred Connors: Pfc. Robert McConnell on the three-wheel CanAm, Cpl. Josh Sanders on a bicycle and Sgt. Rick Roxby with a motorcycle, patrol the streets of Wheeling when special vehicles are needed
By Fred Conners, The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register, September 27, 2015
WHEELING - Visitors coming to Wheeling for festivals or parades are often greeted by police officers on two and three-wheeled vehicles zipping through the streets, keeping things moving.
Cpl. Josh Sanders, the city's only full-time traffic officer, depends upon police-equipped bicycles, motorcycles and a three-wheel CanAm, also called a Spider, to take him and other officers places traditional cruisers cannot go. They all have flashing lights and sirens.
"We use the bicycles and motorcycles for most festival and race patrols," he said. "The Spider comes in handy during grant-funded patrols such as those targeting seatbelt or speeding violations."
Several Wheeling police officers are certified for bike patrol but most are only used for special assignments.
In order to be certified, officers must undergo 40 hours of intensive training especially designed for bike patrol through the International Police Mountain Bike Association.
The training combines emergency vehicle operations for bike officers with patrol procedures, tactics, night operations, scenarios and basic bike maintenance and on-the-road repairs. Off-road riding and bike-specific exercises may be added at the instructor's discretion.
"Among other things, we learn how to ride up and down steps if necessary," Sanders said. "We are trained in falling techniques, safety and maneuvering through crowds and tight spaces."
The training includes basic bike handling through tight cone courses, balance and control techniques.
Sanders, who will soon be certified as an IPMBA instructor, said bikes give officers a tactical advantage in cases of foot pursuits and stealth ability in alleys and on streets less traveled.
"The bikes are a very beneficial tool for community policing," Sanders said. "They make the officer more visible and approachable by the public. The bicycles are more approachable than the motorcycles, and motorcycles are more approachable than cruisers."
Like all police work, safety is a top priority. "Officers are more vulnerable on bikes and motorcycles than in cruisers," he said. "They are more exposed to the elements."
He said an upside is the officer's ability to see, smell and feel pertinent parts of his surroundings. "We are trained on preventing being knocked off the bike," he said. "We also have to train to have stamina so we are not too tired to perform police functions after peddling to the scene."
Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said the department is trying to enhance bicycle patrols. "We plan to revamp the bike division with new uniforms, reflective clothing and gloves," he said. "We recently sent some officers for bike certification. The more officers we get certified, the more direct patrolling we can do."
Schwertfeger said bike patrols are useful for outer perimeter patrolling during Heritage Port events.
"They can cover more ground quicker than officers on foot in the event of a problem," he said. "We like to put them in hot spots because of the covert nature of the bikes."