Doing the Reverse Rocky

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by Maureen Becker
IPMBA Executive Director

It was September 26, 2015, and the City of Philadelphia was indeed alive with Brotherly Love. The World Meeting of Families was in full swing and hundreds of thousands of adoring fans had flooded the streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of – or a blessing from – Pope Francis.

The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) had been preparing for months, training in all sorts of operations and tactics. Knowing that vehicular traffic would be restricted, they decided upon a large-scale deployment of one of the most maneuverable, versatile mode of transportation available – the bicycle. Fortunately, PPD has a long-standing tradition of putting cops on bikes, not just for patrol, but also for the pioneering bike-mounted Narcotics Strike Force and as a part of the Mobile Field Force.

Although often and effectively used for crowd control and management, the PPD took a more traditional approach. Since squad cars would be impractical in the downtown sector, bike officers would handle all regular patrol and responses to calls for service.

Central Philadelphia was divided into four zones, each of which was divided into 10 grids, each of which was patrolled by 3-4 bike officers. 264 bikes were deployed, with officers working 12-hour shifts – day and night.

In preparation for the big event, Philadelphia Inspector Joel Dales, along with other PPD officers, attended the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course conducted by Dave Dager and Chris Denshuick of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department. As Chief of Logistics for some of the events, it was imperative that he be able to move quickly from place to place. Taking the class proved to be one of the keys to his success.

Even on a Gator®, the barricades and traffic hampered his movement, and it wasn’t long before he switched to the bike. He remarked, “On the bike, I could get anywhere I needed to be.” He was able to navigate the parade route from start to finish with no delays or concerns about the barriers to access. One of the more thrilling moments was riding alongside the Pope Mobile as it traversed the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, eliciting screams of joy and adulation from onlookers.

When asked about the other highlights of the papal visit, Dales hesitated before recanting a story that involved the Philadelphia Art Museum steps made famous by Rocky. He was positioned at the top of the steps when he was called upon to respond to an incident near the bottom. He approached the brink, thought twice, focused his eyes forward, placed his pedals at 3 and 9, pushed back off the saddle, took his hand off the front brake, and let it fly!

He arrived safely at the bottom, took care of the situation, and gave thanks for having taken the IPMBA class and having gained the confidence to do a “Reverse Rocky” on the Art Museum steps.

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