BICYCLE DETAIL
Law enforcement agencies in the past have used conventional methods of patrolling – cars, motorcycles, and foot beats. However, most police agencies have found that business activity, combined with pedestrian traffic, has created areas of increased traffic congestion which renders conventional patrol methods ineffective. This created the need for a new, more innovative and flexible patrol method, the bicycle patrol.
The
capabilities of officers on bicycle patrol are superior to the traditional foot
beat. They can respond to calls quicker and at greater distances away, without
being unduly encumbered by vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Additionally, the
bicycle officer can go places that an officer in a car or on a motorcycle can
not go, such as narrow walkways and alcoves. Officers on bicycles are more
accessible to those who need help and, in that they are also more approachable
to the public, have become positive public relations representatives for their
departments.
The Downtown Burbank Village, a square mile of entertainment, dining, and retail, with its crowded streets and walkways, is a very suitable location for the Burbank Police Bicycle Detail.
Since its inception in July of 1992, the Burbank Police Bicycle Detail has been deployed in the Downtown Burbank Village since its transformation from the Golden Mall. The Bicycle Detail operates within the Patrol Division, and promotes an atmosphere of efficient service and safety through the utilization of police officers on bicycles.
Bicycle
officers, all volunteers, are specially trained in the necessary skills to
properly utilize the bicycle for patrol. They ride mountain bicycles that are
specially equipped and marked for police patrol. The officers, in their bicycle
helmets and special uniforms, are assigned to the Village, just like any other
patrol assignment, but use a bicycle instead of a patrol car. They handle all
calls for service, such as taking crime reports and responding to disturbance
calls, and do both traffic and criminal law enforcement. The primary deployment
of bicycle officers is in the Downtown Burbank Village area, but they can be
utilized for special events or in any other area of the city as needed.
The Bicycle Detail’s mission is the same as the Departments; through both preventive and enforcement efforts, the Bicycle Detail maintains social order, minimizes crime and traffic problems, and provides police services in the Downtown Burbank Village in a courteous, caring, and efficient manner.
The Burbank Police Bicycle Detail officers are very visible and are an effective crime deterrent in the areas they work. They have become a valuable asset to our Burbank Village community and to our police department.
