{HARRISBURG} — The Harrisburg Bureau of Police plan to increase community policing efforts thanks to an incredible donation of three new bicycles to its bike patrol fleet.
The new mountain bikes were purchased from InGear Cycling & Fitness in Hummelstown, and donated to the bureau by the Guardian Knights Motorcycle Club. The three donated bicycles, along with two additional bicycles purchased through the police bureau’s general fund budget, bring the total number of bicycles in the bike patrol to seven.
There are 17 officers who are assigned to the bureau’s bike patrol.
The bicycles are used heavily for city festivals, downtown patrols, and in hard-to-navigate alleyways in the city. Mostly, though, they are used to improve community relations. Studies from the National Institute of Health have shown community policing done on bicycle brings police departments and citizens closer together, as the appearance of an officer on a bicycle is less intimidating than a patrol vehicle, and promotes interaction between the officers and their community.
“When a police officer is in a car with windows up, going 25 miles per hour, it might be hard to get their attention,” said Corporal Chad McGowan, who leads the bureau’s bike patrol unit. “However, if someone is on a bike, it’s a lot easier for a citizen just to come up and say hi or ask if they need help. It’s easier to get their attention.”
The mountain bikes are Trek Marlin 6. Each one donated costs about $1,000. The Guardian Knights Motorcycle Club made the donation possible through their charitable efforts to law enforcement agencies and veterans.
The new bicycles are expected to last 7-10 years.
