Police adding bicycle cops in tourist areas
By Bill Rodgers / Journal Staff Writer on Sat, Jun 29, 2013, Albuquerque Journal
The city’s newest police initiative calls for more officers on bicycles to patrol the city’s two main tourist areas.
The Santa Fe Police are assigning up to six bicycle officers to patrol the city’s Plaza and the city-owned Railyard development. Police Chief Ray Rael says the move will help prevent car break-ins, deter shoplifters and will keep those two areas “clean and pleasant hubs” for the city.
According to police department spokeswoman Celina Westervelt, the initiative is intended to be proactive during the city’s tourist season. However, she also said the department has been hearing complaints from downtown merchants, who are upset by buskers gathering too close together, noise and transients.
She said she wouldn’t say there’s been a huge influx of such complaints, but added: “I’d be lying if I said there weren’t any complaints from merchants.”
The SFPD had previously expanded the number of bicycle officers downtown from two to four this year.
Representatives from the Santa Fe Downtown Merchants Association did not return calls seeking comment on Friday.
The plan is to keep the Plaza area and the Railyard staffed with police and public safety aides from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The six officers will divide into two shifts. The second shift of bicycle cops takes over after the first gets off at 6 p.m. After 10 p.m. the second shift will fill out the remainder of their time in their cruisers.
These officers will be looking into alleys, riding buses and using “undercover tactics” while on patrol. They’ll be looking at required city busker licenses, enforcing the city’s noise ordinance and writing parking tickets.
Westervelt said the officers will be in a better position to catch shoplifters and she said there’s a public relations benefit as well because officers are easier to approach if they’re on bikes.