Carter Lake Police Department bicycle unit doubles thanks to donation from local business
By Mike Brownlee, The Daily Nonpareil, May 29, 2020
Photo: Lakeside Auto Recyclers owners Mike Levell Sr., left, and Mike Levell Jr., center, stand with Carter Lake Police Department Sgt. Gary Chambers, who’s showing off the new Trek police model bicycle Lakeside donated to the department. Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Staff photo/Mike Brownlee
CARTER LAKE IA — The Carter Lake Police Department has a new crime fighting tool.
Lakeside Auto Recyclers donated a new bicycle to the department to bolster a program that has helped reduce crime in the city.
The bicycle is the second for Carter Lake Police, after the 15-person department created a bike patrol unit last summer in response to an increase in vehicle break-ins, according to police Sgt. Gary Chambers. The new unit helped decrease those crimes. A second bike will help.
Chambers said while on a bicycle, officers can close on criminals faster without being seen. He teams with Sgt. Ryan Gonsior on bike patrol.
“They’re obviously quieter than patrol cars. With patrol cars, people can see you coming from a ways away, with headlights and everything,” Chambers said. “We can get into the darker corners of neighborhoods, without streetlights, where cars get broken into.”
The stealth movements create a “shock factor” for criminals, as police are on them quicker than expected, police Capt. Josh Driscoll said.
“It’s another tool to use in law enforcement,” he said.
Chambers said the bike is a Trek police model from Xtreme Wheels in Council Bluffs, with a rechargeable headlight and taillight, along with a duty bag for officers to carry the necessities. The estimated value of the bike is a little more than $1,900, the sergeant said.
“We wanted to help fight some of the crime down here,” said Mike Levell Sr., who owns Lakeside, 2813 N. Ninth St., with his son, Mike Levell Jr. said. “There are people committing a lot of crime down here riding bikes.”
“A lot of guys down here are breaking into vehicles, sneaking around in the dark,” Levell Jr. said. “We said if Gary or another guy wanted to get on a bike, we should get another one. We figured it’s a good donation for the community down here.”
Chambers thanked Lakeside, which also was the main benefactor to the department’s K-9 unit.
“Fighting crime, one bike at a time,” Levell Jr. said.