Team of Conway officers train to get certification to ride bikes on patrol mainly for special events
By Jeanette Anderton, the Log Cabin Democrat, May 4, 2019
Several Conway Police Department officers are in the process of getting certified to ride bikes on patrol.
“It won’t be a team that goes out every day on patrol,” CPD spokesman LaTresha Woodruff said. “We’re making sure we have officers who are certified on their bikes should we need them for special events such as Toad Suck Daze.”
Woodruff said Officer Hayden Schmitt is teaching the class, which as of the weekend, had completed one full day of instruction.
“He’s doing a really good job of teaching class and getting them ready for whatever we need,” she said. “They had one full day of instruction already and we’re planning for another full day as soon as weather permits. They’re workin on special training such as riding bikes down stairs.”
The next part of the training will be at the ball field at Robins Street and German Lane but Woodruff said the officers will be riding on busy streets as well.
“They’ve ridden all over town, around UCA,” she said. “They get on their bikes at the PD and ride all over. It’s important to ride on the streets so they can get acclimated to riding in traffic.”
Having bike patrols can help officers maneuver more easily than those in patrol vehicles.
“They’ll be on the ground and can get through easier,” Woodruff said.
She said the department currently has a crime suppression units that already uses bike patrols.
“They hang out in neighborhoods and all over town. When weather permits, they’re on their bikes,” she said.
For more information about the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), visit http://ipmba.org.