MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Have you seen our Public Safety officers riding around campus on their bicycles?  Maybe you saw them riding by at the last outdoor campus-wide event and wondered, “Why are Public Safety officers on bicycles?” 

In the early 1900s, most major city police departments utilized bicycles for police patrols out of necessity.  Since then, many law enforcement agencies across the country have returned to this idea as a supplement to their vehicle patrols.  Departments find many advantages to utilizing bicycles for patrols, including the mobility it provides to officers who can move around the community quietly, swiftly, and into places that cars cannot go.  These units are also a great way to improve public relations on campus since they allow officers to be more accessible and welcoming to members of the community, especially during campus events.  Of course, there are other significant benefits such as cost savings and improvements to the environment through the reduction of pollution. 

With those factors in mind, the Department of Public Safety officially re-launched its Bicycle Patrol in a more focused effort to make the unit a distinctive and recognized part of patrol operations.  In June of this year two Campus Peace Officers, Anthony Iacuzzi and Thomas Turner, were selected for the required specialized training based on their interest, physical stamina, and outgoing personalities.  Both officers spent a demanding 40-hour week in training sponsored by the Public Safety Training Center learning how to “ride like a law enforcement officer,” which is uniquely different from everyday bike riding.  Officers must learn to ride their specially equipped bicycles up and down stairs, over curbs, and through traffic with at least 20 pounds of gear strapped around their waists while conducting routine patrol duties (check out the attached pictures of the Bicycle Patrol in action).  Within the coming years, other officers will be trained and added to the ranks of the Public Safety Bicycle Patrol.

Unfortunately, when the inevitable snow begins to fly, soon it will be time to put the bikes away.  Rest assured, we will see our Bike Patrol officers when the fair weather returns on the other side of winter! 

P.S.  Don’t forget to say “hi” when you see them whizzing by!