New battery-boosted bikes give Wauwatosa police officers an assist
by Chris Barlow , Wauwatosa Today, May 9, 2017
(Photo: Chris Barlow/Now Media Group)
Wauwatosa WI -- Pedaling a bike takes effort and expends energy.
In the interest of having its officers arriving at a scene able to conduct business and not be out of breath, the Wauwatosa Police Department has purchased new bicycles with battery power.
The 10-gear bikes are equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack that can produce an additional 100 percent of the power delivered by the rider. The bikes have a "torque sensor" that matches or amplifies the output created by the pedaling of the rider.
"You still have to pedal and shift gears," said Wauwatosa Police Administrative Sgt. Bradley Beckman. "But the extra power takes the pressure off of the legs."
Johnson's supplies bikes
The power is delivered to the drive train by the battery and can be set in one of four different modes: 30 percent ("econ" mode); 50 percent ("patrol" mode); 100 percent ("turbo" mode); and a mode that alternates between the three other modes.
Johnson's Cycle and Fitness sold the department four bikes at a cost of $4,000 each. Pete Esser from Johnson's said the bikes take 3 ½ hours to charge and if utilized at 50 percent or lower will last a full eight-hour shift.
"It's just like riding a real bicycle," Esser said. "A rider can maintain an energy level and if it is needed to respond the bike gives you a boost."
School Resource Officers to ride
The bikes will mainly be ridden by on-duty police school resource officers who are available in the summer when school is not in session. The SRO's are usually assigned to each middle and secondary school with a goal of practicing support and building relationships with the students, parents and faculty.
SRO Farris Griffin demonstrated the bikes and said the bike makes an officer more approachable by a citizen and is a good change of pace from a squad car.
It is a smooth ride and you're not fatigued when responding to calls," Griffin said. "I have a hybrid bike and compared to that this is an outstanding ride."
SRO officers, Griffin, Tracy Burbach, Joel Kutz and Jim Morrill will be the main riders of the bikes, but other officers may be seen riding them around the city.
"We are going to encourage our other officers to use the bikes," Beckman said. "It allows an officer to patrol very quietly and be able to cover alleys, side streets in a stealth mode."
Bike specs
The bikes weigh 48 pounds and come in sizes ranging from medium to extra large. They're equipped with three-inch tires — slightly larger than a normal mountain bike but not as large as the "fat tire" snow and ice bikes.
They will be hauled to various sites around the city on bike racks on the back of a trailer hitch. Beckman said the city is exploring putting charging stations around the city in places like the Village or fire departments so the bikes can be ready for use whenever they are needed.
The officers who will be on the bikes will go through a two-hour training session that will teach them to operate and maintain the bikes and will include a riding course.
The bikes are not in use by many police departments in the area but Beckman said that research he's done showed that over 70 percent of European departments are utilizing them. Wauwatosa Alderman Matt Stippich purchased one and recommended the bikes to the PD.
"As far as we know we are the only people in the Midwest that have these (bikes)," Beckman said. "I would almost guarantee that other departments will have them by the end of the summer."