Michigan couple donates electric bikes to Fairbanks Police Department
By Dorothy Chomicz, June 19, 2015, Fairbanks Daily News Miner
FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks police have two new patrol vehicles, thanks to the generosity of couple visiting from Michigan.
Garry and Sue Denton, of Royal Oak, took police by surprise Thursday morning when they showed up with an out-of-the blue donation of two Pedago Interceptor motorized bicycles.
The bikes can be pedaled like a normal bicycle, driven using only the motor or used with a combination of motor and human power. They are battery powered and can go up to 25 mph, according to Garry Denton.
Garry, a retired master carpenter, and Sue, a retired accountant, purchased both bikes for about $8,000 before they left Michigan last fall in their new RV.
They wintered in Florida and arrived in Alaska on May 27.
Denton said he and Sue enjoyed riding the bikes but decided they weren’t really using them enough to justify carrying them around.
“They weren’t proper for our lifestyle now — we’re full time RVR’s,” Denton said.
Not wanting to sell the bikes or try to ship them home, the couple tried to figure out what to do with them.
“We made the executive decision and said, ‘how about we go to the police station and ask if they want them,’” Denton said. “We went there this morning and said to the officer, ‘Sir, this sounds funny, but …’ and went into the story.”
One of the couple’s two sons is an auxiliary police officer in Birmingham, Michigan, Denton said, so the couple knew a police department would appreciate the gift.
“We just had to give them up, and we can afford to do so. We loved doing it,” Denton said.
The bikes have less than 100 miles on each and are only about six months old, Denton said. They can travel 40 to 60 miles on one charge, depending on the weight of the rider, wind conditions and the terrain.
City spokeswoman Amber Courtney said the bikes will be used to patrol the downtown core area, which is the newest district in Chief Randall Arragon’s Community Oriented Policing effort.