Duluth Police, Fire crews to increase bike patrol during marathon weekend festivities
By Krystal Frasier, KBJR6 News, June 20, 2019
DULUTH, MN– Grandma’s marathon weekend is here!
With that, come tens of thousands of people who are expected to visit Duluth, making safety a top concern.
Now, a new partnership between Duluth Fire and Duluth Police is going the extra mile to make sure everyone stays safe.
The two departments are pairing up to do bike patrol.
Officials said bikes make officers more accessible to people and make it easier to quickly maneuver through dense crowds, which we’ll see a lot of this weekend, especially in Canal Park.
First responders on bike patrol will be covering the Canal Park area over the weekend.
In two teams of two, bike patrol will be engaging heavily with the community to make people feel safer so they can enjoy their experience.
The two departments said they’re happy to be partnering together.
“It’s not only a good opportunity to get to know the firefighters in the city that we don’t maybe get a chance to build those relationships with, and at the same time accomplish our goal of law enforcement and their goals as well,” said Mike Jambor, DPD community officer.
We’re told the partnership will continue through the summer during other big events.
We also heard from Grandma’s Marathon officials about their safety protocols on Thursday.
They say any person or vehicle that enters restricted areas must be wearing their credentials.
Security dogs roam the most populated areas along the course, especially near the finish line.
Also, bags and backpacks are checked at each security stop.
Runners are also only allowed to bring the clear, preapproved race bags to the starting line.
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DULUTH, MN — Extra bike patrols will be in the Canal Park area this weekend as police and fire crews hope to increase response time in the thick crowds.
Due to the tens of thousands of people expected to visit in the area, the departments are teaming up for the first time in order to help ensure safety of everyone involved during the festivities.
Officials with the DPD say bikes make officers more accessible to community members, and are easier to maneuver with the amount of people in the area.
According to police, first responders on bike patrol will be covering the Canal Park area, and will also be engaging with community members.
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Duluth Police Patrol the Streets on Bikes for Grandma’s Weekend
Duluth police use bike patrols to monitor Grandma's crowds.
By Viktoria Capek, Fox 21 News, June 21, 2019
Watch the video: https://www.fox21online.com/2019/06/21/duluth-police-patrol-the-streets-on-bikes-for-grandmas-weekend/
DULUTH, Minn- Duluth police want to be as accessible as possible in the busy crowds for Grandma’s Weekend.
12 bike officers will be pedaling around the streets from 14th Avenue East to Canal Park.
The bike patrol is a partnership with Duluth Police, Duluth Fire, UMD Police and U.S> Border Patrol.
Officers say bikes are the best way to cover the most distance.
“We can bring squad cars down if we need to transport someone, but with the bike patrol through the congested areas, they go through much smoother. We can be on the race course, we can be on the sidewalks, we can take shortcuts much easier,” Duluth Sgt. Kelly Greenwalt said.
The officers will be primarily watching for medical emergencies on race day.