Liberty PD Starts New Bike Patrol Program

LIBERTY, December 11, 2009 – The Liberty Police Department rolled out its new patrol bike program on Friday morning. The department recently purchased two Smith and Wesson law enforcement specialty bikes, and four officers have volunteered for the program.

L to R: Sgt. David Hunter, Sgt. Tony Stines, Officer Barbie Miller, Officer Jeanne Marie Bridwell, Detective Chip Fairchild

The bikes will be used to supplement normal patrol functions. They will be used for events with large crowds like the Liberty Jubilee and parades in downtown, along with functions in the city park like Kidfish and 4th of July. They’ll be added as extra patrol for seasonal high traffic areas around stores and parking lots. And they’ll be used for concentrated patrols in areas where illegal narcotic activities are increasing.

If you've asked Santa for a bicycle, maybe he will bring you one like this!

Liberty Police Chief Billy Tidwell explained further, “Officers on bikes 4 to 5 times more likely to interact with citizens than an officer in a patrol car. When used for concentrated or intensified patrols in known problem areas, bike officers tend to have an arrest rate that is twice as high as their patrol car counterparts.”

Citizens greet Officers patroling the Wal-Mart Paking lot

Community Services Officer Hugh Bishop added, “Bike patrol officers are great for involvement with school-aged children. They’re perfect for role-modeling the use of safety equipment and traffic laws that pertain to bikes.

Participation in the bike patrol program is voluntary. Assignments will be made depending on the particular need or function requiring a bike patrol, and the officer’s primary duties. The four officers that have volunteered are: Jeanne Marie Birdwell, Barbie Miller, Sgt. Tony Stines, and Detective Chip Fairchild. The bikes, and the specialized equipment and training, are all paid for with seized drug funds.

For the initial “roll out”, officers will be on the bikes in parking lots and areas that have above average holiday traffic.