Bobbies on Bikes
Bobbies on bikes are set to step up patrols on local cycle paths after being handed £3,500 of funding.
To encourage more people to get on their bikes the CDT project seeks to encourage as much community involvement as possible and our local police have welcomed this.
Earlier this year the Lancaster and Morecambe Neighbourhood Policing Teams applied for funding from the CDT Project. This money has been used to purchase eight new bikes as part of their own goal to increase the number of cycling patrols in the districts town centres and cycle paths by 300%. Lancashire Constabulary are providing match funding by supplying staffing patrols and specialist cycling uniform clothing
Lancaster patrols now have the use of one electronically assisted and two pedal cycles, Morecambe has three pedal cycles and there are two additional cycles (one electric) to cover the West End Partnership area of Morecambe.
The bikes will be used to improve the quality of policing in the district by providing a highly visible service with the extra benefit of increased mobility not just on our streets but also the districts cycleways.
This initiative gives enhanced visibility and raises the profile of neighbourhood policing and cycle use. It will also have health benefits to the users, as well as setting a positive role model for the community at large and enable considerable reassurance and protection policing to be undertaken to the benefit of all law abiding citizens.
A further benefit of this increased presence is the likely reduction in the fear of crime on our cycleways. There is significant local feedback regarding the perception that some of our designated cycle routes are unsafe to use due to high crime rates and fear of victimisation.
Bobbies on Bikes – November 10, 2006 – Winning Back the West End Office
Back row from L-R:
(Lancashire Constabulary)
Stuart Railton, Finance & Admin Manager
Chief Insp Julian Platt
Sgt Andy Williams
Front row from L-R:
Rachel Scott, Cycling Project Officer,
Councillors Gina Dowding & Janice Hanson
PCSOs Hannah Cragg & Ben Heap.
PCSO Patrol in Lancaster
I have been a Police Community Support Officer in Lancaster for over two years, and a Police Community Support Officer on a bike for almost a year.
Two pedal cycles were provided for use in Lancaster by Lancaster City Council early in 2007 and I started out thinking Id patrol occasionally by bicycle, but quickly realised this was a much more efficient way of doing my job and started using the bicycle for all my patrols and visits (even in the rain!).
The only problem was, as a 5 foot nothing female, my idea of a small bike and Lancashire Constabularys idea of a small bike didnt quite match. The one initially provided was way too big for me. It wasnt too long though before I put in a successful bid to the City Council for a smaller bike to enable me to patrol my area – Ryelands and Scale Hall – which includes the cycle path parallel to Morecambe Road.
I find that I meet more members of the public especially other cyclists now that Im on two wheels, and Ive had many comments about how good it is to see a bobby on a bike.
Two other PCSO colleagues ride police bikes too: Andy Reay who patrols the Marsh and Castle area; and Tom Owen who is a familiar sight on the streets of Galgate and Dophinholme and who puts us both to shame with the number of miles he covers daily.
Morgan Hargreaves
PCSO 7227
Photo above right shows (l to r) Tom Owen – PCSO for South Lancaster Rural; Morgan Hargreaves – PCSO for Ryelands and Scale Hall; Andy Reay – PCSO on the Marsh Estate.