Charleston police switch bike unit back into gear
By JARAD JARMON, August 17, 2016, Journal Gazette & Times Courier
Photo: Brett Compton, Charleston Police Department officer, rides one of the new patrol bikes Wednesday. Compton said one of the more challenging aspects of patrols on a bike is riding slow and keeping balanced.
CHARLESTON IL-- Police officers have recently been combing parts of Charleston not just on foot or in a car, but on bikes as well.
Around a decade since the Charleston Police Department had a bike patrol program, they have added bikes to the crew of squad cars and trucks in the department.
For about three weeks now, the department has been putting the recently purchased patrol bikes into regular use. These mountain bikes costing $1,400 each feature large wheels for better stability and a bag with emergency medical supplies, according to police Chief Bryan Baker.
Lt. John Bennett, who is a part of the bike unit, said interest for the bikes was spurred by growing use of areas inaccessible to vehicles, namely the trail system surrounding Lake Charleston and other areas around the lake.
“It gives us the flexibility to be out there and to have a presence in those areas,” Bennett said.
Bennett said he hopes that by showing a police presence at these locations, it will hopefully curb criminal activity that is prevalent in that area. He said littering has been a noticeable problem near Lake Charleston, especially around its edge.
“We have a monster problem with trash out there,” Bennett said. “We need to be able to have the ability to get out to these remote areas, and if someone sees an officer out there where he has never seen an officer before, then hopefully that would make him think twice about leaving trash behind.”
Bennett said these bikes have allowed the officers to better serve the department’s growing interest in community outreach.
“It gives us an opportunity to increase our presence in that fashion throughout the community in various events,” he said.
Recently, police officers have taken patrols on the bikes through events like Musefest and the Charleston school district's first day of classes for the fall.
Bennett said the department can also use the bikes in patrol scenarios that call for a more quiet and inconspicuous approach than squad cars can offer.
“Maybe during the night shift, if we are having a problem with certain crimes in certain areas of town, maybe vehicle burglaries or residential burglaries, we can have somebody in a more stealthy mode (on a bike),” Bennett said.
Brett Compton, CPD officer who is a part of the bike unit, said the bikes in some cases offer the best of both worlds: allowing them to easily talk with community members more than from a squad car, but also cover more ground from a more elevated place than possible on a foot patrol.
They are still in the process of outfitting the bikes to better fit their needs and training and outfitting the five or six officers set to be in the bike unit. Bennett said even though they plan to go on bike patrols more often, they will largely be used on an “as needed” basis.
“Obviously, we want to get them out as often as possible, but we don't have the population density here that makes it real practical for me to be able to assign one or two guys every day for a full shift to be on a bike,” he said. “(Use of the bikes) will be more targeted.”