The Bike Patrol was established in 1995 as part of our focus on community policing and currently has 15 officers. All bike patrol officers were sent to C.O.B.W.E.B (“Cops On Bikes With an Education Bicycling”) training.
The Bike Patrol uses mountain bikes, which are used for many different town functions, including parades, festivals, crowd control, traffic control, and directed patrol. This type of patrol becomes highly effective in gridlock traffic, off-road areas, alleyways, and other areas that are inaccessible to patrol cars. The police officer can dismount the bike at any time and pedal throughout the neighborhoods, plazas, condominiums/apartment complexes, and off-road paths. When an officer is on a mountain bike, he/she is much more approachable than when operating a cruiser. This greatly increases interaction with the citizens of the community.
The unit is funded by a Community Policing Grant issued by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety.
