Fairview Park police set wheels in motion to buy e-bikes for community patrolling
By John Benson, Cleveland.com, September 27, 2023
Photo: The Fairview Park Police Department is moving forward with the purchase of two new e-bikes. (John Benson/cleveland.com)
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- The Fairview Park Police Department is moving forward with the purchase of two new e-bikes.
“We’ve always had a bike patrol, but the auxiliaries used it more than our regular officers,” Police Chief Paul Shepard said. “A lot of that was because the equipment became old. It just needs to be pepped up a little bit.
“Also, we have a bunch of young officers excited about getting out in public and riding a bike. It’s another tool we can use to protect the city.”
The department plans to use a recently awarded $9,998 grant from Cuyahoga County Council to purchase two e-bikes.
“Fairview Park Police Department has aging bicycle equipment,” Cuyahoga County Council District 1 Representative Patrick Kelly said. “Using ARPA funds, they’ll be able to purchase two e-bikes.
“These bikes are a great tool for community policing and patrol of the city’s parks -- not to mention Fairview and Westgate shopping centers,” he said.
For comparison, the police chief said new all-terrain bikes cost in the $3,000 to $4,000 range. Upgrading to e-bikes just made sense.
Using a powerful electric motor, e-bikes can traverse stairs and curbs, with the ability to go off road and in between vehicles as needed.
“Our officers patrol the entire city,” Shepard said. “When on patrol, the e-bikes will not only help maintain officer stamina -- they won’t get as fatigued easily -- but it allows a quicker response.
“We’ll get them certified on the e-bikes. We want to make sure we’re utilizing them the proper way and making sure our officers know the capabilities and restrictions of the equipment they’re using.”
The police department bike unit holds a special place for Shepard, who said one of the first things he did when hired by Fairview Park in 1996 was participate in a fundraiser to establish the city’s bike unit.
The police chief is optimistic that residents will see officers on e-bikes next year.
“We just received the money, so we’ll put in the order,” he said. “We hope to have them in by the end of the year.
“Then in the spring, we’ll be training our new officers so when our parks open up they’ll be available for officers to ride around.”