In the year 2018 on an experimental basis the Delhi Police allocated to 15 police stations four cycles each for helping the police constables and assistant sub-inspectors to do their rounds. The experiment needless to say was quietly wound up. With the obsessions of owing motorcycles and in fact bigger and better one at that the police brass have almost abandoned the idea of easy policing using the cycles. The police that used the trusted Royal Enfield almost uniformly all over the country seem to have developed an appetite for the peppier brands. According to one 2018 news report they pan across the spectrum from home-grown entry level sports bikes the likes of Pulsars and Apaches, to Japanese Sports Tourers like the CBR250 and even some neat entry-level Harley-Davidson. Gujarat Police bought the first set of Indian-made Harley-Davidson Street 750 back in 2017. It was soon followed by the Kolkata Police as well. These bikes have been reserved henceforth as an escort to convoys in both Kolkata as well as by the Gujarat Police.Since the 2018, almost all the entire Delhi police fleet have opted for motorcycles of upwards of 300 cc capacity.
The original Delhi police initiative for cycle cops was to maintain vigil in colonies, parks and congested streets where movement of police vehicles is impossible. This is an effort to keep anti-social elements away from public spaces. The decision has been taken in view of rising crimes in different parks of South Delhi. In Bangalore a private non-profit had provide five cycles to the cops. The pedal police branded bicycles equipped with police lights, alarms, reflective vests and helmets were distributed to police personnel of the Cubbon Park Police station . The police will be patrolling the areas inside the park and Vidhan Soudha neighbourhoods on the bicycle to prevent illegal activities. A Better India article of 2016 vintage had informed that the then Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa gave 250 bicycles to the city police in June that year. Bicycles make the presence of police officers more apparent and help catch criminals who run away at the sight or sound of patrol vehicles.
Another important global phenomenon is that the bicycles are custom designed for law enforcement use. Many manufacturers of bicycles offer police models, including Haro, Volcanic, Trek, Cannondale, Fuji, Safariland-Kona, Force, and KHS. Other companies offer police, fire and EMS specific models. Many are equipped with a rear rack and bag to hold equipment. This is something the Indian bicycle cop squadrons could use to its advantage as and when they are raised. American Bike Patrol Services is one of the first training organizations serving law enforcement in conjunction with Californias academies training programs since 1991. The Law Enforcement Bicycling Association (LEBA) was founded by members of the first police mountain bike patrol in the U.S. and began training colleagues from across North America in the early 1990s.
The International Police Mountain Bikes association has listed a number of FAQs that answers much of the myth and fears surrounding the use of Bi-cycles by the cops. https://ipmba.org/resources/faq The highlights of their recommendation are : Bike patrol officers are often able to approach suspects virtually unnoticed, even in full uniform.
Bike-mounted security officers create a highly mobile, visible presence in a wide range of facilities, including shopping malls, casinos, office parks, gated communities, hospital complexes, and amusement parks.
Bicycle use promotes good health – and departments benefit from decreased healthcare costs.
Bicycles are enjoyable – even occasional bike duty improves morale.
Bicycles are environmentally-friendly – no fossil fuels or emissions, and less parking surface is needed.
For more advantages of deploying public safety cyclists, view this video presentation, developed in conjunction with the Towson University Department of Electronic Media and Film.
Under Indian conditions by overcoming some pre-existing notions and hesitation, it is perfectly possible to raise exclusive cycle cops battalions in every major city which would be far more effective than motorcycle borne cops.
We from the cycletofuture.com have plans to petition the governments both at the center and the states to promote the idea of cycle cops as after all the country was policed by cycle cops only right up to the eighties.
The modern cycle cop force may have superior cycles at fraction of the cost of a motorcycle equipped with all the modern gadgets for crime prevention and extending help in any emergency situation such as accidents.
Even using the battery operated e-bikes will not add much to the cost and these are efficient and silent and will be less strenuous for the cops to operate.
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