VCU news

By Michael Kelly

As part of its ongoing efforts to engage, protect and serve the VCU community, the VCU Police Department is preparing more of its officers to patrol the streets on two wheels instead of four.

Last week, 15 VCU Police officers and 10 officers from surrounding agencies participated in “bike school” on and around campus. The week-long course was taught by three VCU Police instructors – Lt. William Butters, Sgt. Duane Thorp and Sgt. Kyle Frail, who hold certifications from the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA.)

The push to expand the bicycle officer program came after the university community expressed a desire for more bike officers during the recent community safety survey.

“We’re excited to expand our bike patrols because they’re an effective policing tool and the community has told us that’s what they want to see,” said VCU Police Assistant Chief Chris Preuss. “Bike officers are extremely cost effective and operationally effective. In an urban environment like our campus, bike officers can often respond to calls faster than a police vehicle because they aren’t limited by sidewalks, traffic or one-way streets. In an emergency, speed and mobility can make a huge difference.”

In addition to the VCU Police officers receiving bike training, officers from the Richmond City Police Department, Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia Capitol Police and Fort Lee Police took part in drills and training. The officers who successfully completed the week-long training received accreditation as a police cyclist from IPMBA.

Because training must simulate real world conditions to the greatest extent possible, the intensity increases as the week goes on. What begins as low-speed maneuvers on a course of traffic cones soon evolves into high-speed descents down hills and staircases, bunny hops over curbs and simulated pursuits of suspects on foot. It is not uncommon for officers to withdraw from training because of injury or inability to perform required maneuvers.

“Proper training is essential to an officer effectively and safely patrolling on bike,” Butters said. “This is why we put these officers through an intense, 40-hour course covering things like basic cycling, bicycle maintenance, community policing and patrol tactics. We don’t want our officers to encounter anything in the field they haven’t already practiced in training.”

The public often sees bike officers as more approachable and accessible than officers in vehicles, allowing for easier interaction with the large number of pedestrians and bicyclists in VCU Police’s jurisdiction. While bike officers may not have the capacity to carry the full range of equipment one might find in a traditional police cruiser, their mobility and low profile give them unique advantages when responding to or investigating complaints on campus.

As VCU Police works around the clock to keep the university community safe, they now have even more trained officers ready to roll.

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