Throughout the month of January, eighteen officers of your Lauderhill Police Department became certified as Bicycle Patrol Officers. This grueling three-day course of instruction teaches the proper use and implementation of the bicycle in law enforcement applications. They not only learned everything there is to know about riding techniques (rapid mounts/dismounts, power slides, take-downs, and maneuvering through crowds to name a few), but also how to do them all in various terrains. Their skills were put to the test in a final twenty-five-mile ride from the Lauderhill Police Department to Markham County Park!

When out on the bike, officers can hear and see things that might otherwise go unnoticed in a vehicle. They can travel down back alleys, parking lots and through neighborhoods and into crowded areas that a marked police vehicle cannot. Going hand in hand with the department’s community policing philosophy, bike patrol officers can engage with the community on a more personal level and the bicycle opens an avenue of communication that might not be there. By being more approachable, policing on a bike gives officers and the public an opportunity to talk with no barrier and have a positive interaction. Look for our bike patrol officers at various city events, out in your neighborhoods or even come out and ride with us at our Slow Roll on March 21!