Fremont bike police enjoy connecting with community on two wheels

The city's Fourth of July parade was another event at which cops on bikes can connect more easily with citizens

Photo by WTOL: Fremont police patrol on bicycles

by Kristy Gerlett, WTOL, July 1, 2023

FREMONT, Ohio — People waving American flags, lawn chairs lining the streets with kids trying to catch the candy paradors were throwing, local pageant kings and queens wearing their sashes proudly as they road on a float. the Fourth of July parade in Fremont, Ohio Saturday was quant and delightful. It also was an ideal time for the town's police department to use its bicycle unit for added security. 

"Anytime we're in a cruiser, obviously no one's really running up to our cars," said Sergeant Jacob Scully of the Fremont Police Department. "With the bike patrol team, it's obviously a lot easier to get out and get next to people."

Getting next to people is the whole point, Sully said. The bike unit was created more than 40 years ago to improve community relations but was dismantled and only recently reinstated. Four officers now serve on the unit.

But don't let these officers on bicycles mislead you. They're still doing their job on two wheels, just as if they were driving on four. 

"We find people still with warrants," Scully said. "If we see someone out and about and they're doing something, or with a warrant like I said, we still approach them. We still take actions."

Every officer in the unit goes through special training on bikes, including how to maneuver down a staircase and stop safely from high speeds. Riding a bike definitely requires physical fitness. 

"This is typically when I lose the most poundage right here, in the summertime," Scully said. "I'm, like, man something is working here. It's definitely getting the workout."

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