I Tip My Hat to You
Ed.’s Note: In this issue of IPMBA News, current IPMBA President Wren Nealy welcomes guest columnist Allan Howard, who served as IPMBA’s first President, from 1992-1997. A former Marine, Allan lives by the mantra of improvise, adapt, overcome…and evolve.
If I had a nickel for every occasion some old timer admonished me, “You guys have it easy nowadays”, I could have retired ten years earlier. Usually, I heard it when I was doing all the work on a call while my “seniors” were standing around shooting the breeze. I assumed it was because they were tired from having it hard all those years prior to my arrival. Early on, one of the things I promised myself was that I’d never let those words fall out of my mouth. For the record, I’ve kept my word.
This issue of IPMBA News is our Product Guide. Unlike in the early days, there are many more products available. These days, you need to know so much more if you’re responsible for purchasing and/or using modern bikes and equipment for public safety work. Indeed, a bike isn’t “just” a bike anymore. I’m proud that IPMBA and its members have been a driving force to get manufacturers to create and upgrade products for our very specific needs. These products can and have saved lives, both public servant and civilian. While we all like to be comfortable, remember this: the equipment we use is not for “comfort”, it is for “safety”. No one ever promised that you “comfortable”, so consequently they won’t pay for it. Always bear that in mind when writing a proposal.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that being a public servant or working in the private security industry today is much harder than it was thirty years ago. Criminals are more ruthless, better armed and willing to trade their lives to accomplish their twisted goals; often without warning. Even riding the bike isn’t as carefree as it once was. If you would have told me three decades ago that cyclists would be run over by drivers typing on mobile devices, I would have called you crazy. Yet here we are.
The key point I want to make is that the equipment we used thirty years ago is vastly different – and I daresay – inferior to what is available today. Had the founders of this organization listened to the naysayers whine “but we’ve never done it that way before”, we wouldn’t have IPMBA and probably wouldn’t have public safety cycling as we know it. Quite literally, we exist because people went against the grain; they suggested, advocated and pushed for something that wasn’t the norm. I remember other officers on my department laughing when we first rolled out on bicycles. Soon after, they were trying to join us because we made a difference. We did things other officers couldn’t do to respond to crime, and they wanted to be a part of that.
Having a history is important. At this point in our organizational life, we have a living history in that some of us from the very beginning are still around. I can’t say whether that’s an advantage or not because sometimes I feel like there may be resistance to change because that’s not the way we “old-timers” did it. Tradition and established practice are fine, but much has changed in public safety cycling during the last thirty years and that’s a good thing. Equipment, training methods, networking opportunities and the inclusion of all public/private safety cyclists are big improvements over where we were in 1991.
One thing I hope never changes is the duty of everyone in this organization to be open to new developments, no matter what they are, even if they seem to fly in the face of tradition and established standards. Every person I worked with during IPMBA’s infancy had that openness. Instead of asking “Why?” we demanded to know, “Why not?” I think I can speak for all the founding IPMBA members when I challenge you, the members and leaders of this organization, to keep up that “Why not?” attitude, because without it, we will surely fade away.
Back in February, I had the opportunity to have dinner with the IPMBA Executive Director and Board when they were here in Dayton for their annual board meeting. When I think of all the issues they face while making our organization both relevant and solvent, I’m thoroughly impressed. They have to consider things on a daily basis the founders never even dreamed of. Truly, it is more difficult to keep something going than it is to start it.
To IPMBA Members, Board and Executive Director, I tip my hat. You guys don’t have it easy these days, but you’re doing a great job!
Allan
Allan Howard, PCI #001
Dayton (OH) Police Department (Retired)
(c) 2020 IPMBA. This column appeared in the 2020 IPMBA News Product Guide.