Snyder Police Department starts bicycle patrol unit
By: Claire Kreuz, Big Country, April 2, 2019
SNYDER, Texas (KTAB) - The City of Snyder will soon see some of its Police Officers up close and personal. The Snyder Police Department has four new bicycles that will be used to patrol, work events and more.
The Snyder police officers have a new set of wheels.
"It came from the officers themselves. They wanted a bicycle unit," Snyder Police Chief Brian Haggard said.
It's been years since the department has hit the streets on two wheels instead of four but officers wanted to get closer to the community.
"It's quieter, you can get around a lot easier, you can get around crowded areas, you turn the lights off you know you can't be seen. Plus you're closer to the public. You can get out as you're riding you can stop and talk to the neighbors you can talk to business owners," Chief Haggard said.
"I think it's good to have the face to face contact. The more interactions you have with people, the more positive interactions you have with people the better your department is," Officer Joseph Giittinger said.
The department added four new bikes of different sizes fully stocked with lights, adjustable shocks, helmets and patrol bags.
"This is what we can put anything we might need while we're out and about whether it's to help change tires, help to do our job safer, little first aid kit that's up to us," Officer Whitney Merket said.
The saying "once you learn to ride a bike you never forget" however, turns out not to be the case.
"No. Try riding the bike with all the gear on because we're going to wear gear we're still going to wear our vest we're still going to wear our belts because we still have to be able to do the same job we would in our cars but be able to do it on a bicycle," Officer Merket said.
The ten officers interested in utilizing the bikes have already started training during their breaks but they will also have to go through a formal course.
"To go through obstacles they may have to go up and down stairs or down a hill jump a curb so that's some of the issues they'll have to learn," Chief Haggard said.
In the next week officers will be ready to roll out and serve the city in a whole new way.
Each bike cost about $1,400 and Snyder City Council approved the department use money from unclaimed funds to help make the purchase.