Bike Patrol Gives Officers Leg Up
Bike Patrol Gives Officers Leg Up
POSTED: Monday, August 31, 2009
UPDATED: 9:44 am EDT September 1, 2009
WYANDOTTE, Mich. -- We’re used to hearing about the latest high-tech gadget helping police do their job; however, it’s a low-tech item that’s helping Wyandotte police nab wanted criminals.At first glance, bicycles don’t look like crime-fighting machines. But Patrolman Neil Hunter says look again.“I think the best part about it, for me, is at night time, just the element of surprise. You can just get right on somebody. They never hear or see you until you’re right up on them,” said Hunter.Hunter is part of Wyandotte’s newly expanded bicycle patrol. He was on patrol, riding his department-issued bike, when he said he caught a man stealing a bike.“Had I been a police car, there's no way I would have seen that,” said Hunter. “In a patrol car, we would've probably driven right past him because he was on the street doing nothing wrong. It’s just a different way to observe someone.”Hunter arrested the man and now Timothy Chairelli, 30, faces numerous charges.“That turned out to be a pretty good collar because he was wanted in some home invasions and he had some narcotics on him, some crack cocaine,” said Hunter.Hunter said he’s made several arrests this summer where suspects had no clue he was watching, including, a man who he said was breaking into cars in the city.“He was so focused on breaking into cars he never saw me,” said Hunter. “So I watched him break into a car and come out with a bunch of radar equipment, GPS units, so I rode up on him. Even when I rode up on him, and got off my bike to stop him, he still had no idea that I was the police.”The department revamped its bike patrol this summer to help fight crime; however, there’s another reason the program was given extra attention.Wyandotte police are refocusing on community policing, where officers patrol neighborhoods everyday, being visible within communities and hopefully creating relationships with residents.Patrolman Steve Sabo believes the new initiative is already improving police-resident relations.“I can ride the downtown area or the parks and interact with folks and they tell me, ‘I don't feel uncomfortable in Wyandotte. I've lived here 40 years, but I really like you're here because I feel safer.’ And I never really got that feedback before. I think it's pretty neat,” said Sabo.Another side benefit is that the officers are enjoying staying fit and being active during the summer.Most days they easily ride 20 to 30 miles.The program has been so successful this summer that the department already has plans to expand it even further next year.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20654538/detail.html
Now if only the city of Detroit could learn from this.
Steve Sabo Wyandotte Officer
Its amazing to me to see that this Steve Sabo giving a quote is even still a officer, the site www.homewreckingcops.com shows you this guy has anything but the community best interest at heart. He destroys families in Wyandotte not protect them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tig3rzhark
Bike Patrol Gives Officers Leg Up
POSTED: Monday, August 31, 2009
UPDATED: 9:44 am EDT September 1, 2009
WYANDOTTE, Mich. -- We’re used to hearing about the latest high-tech gadget helping police do their job; however, it’s a low-tech item that’s helping Wyandotte police nab wanted criminals.At first glance, bicycles don’t look like crime-fighting machines. But Patrolman Neil Hunter says look again.“I think the best part about it, for me, is at night time, just the element of surprise. You can just get right on somebody. They never hear or see you until you’re right up on them,” said Hunter.Hunter is part of Wyandotte’s newly expanded bicycle patrol. He was on patrol, riding his department-issued bike, when he said he caught a man stealing a bike.“Had I been a police car, there's no way I would have seen that,” said Hunter. “In a patrol car, we would've probably driven right past him because he was on the street doing nothing wrong. It’s just a different way to observe someone.”Hunter arrested the man and now Timothy Chairelli, 30, faces numerous charges.“That turned out to be a pretty good collar because he was wanted in some home invasions and he had some narcotics on him, some crack cocaine,” said Hunter.Hunter said he’s made several arrests this summer where suspects had no clue he was watching, including, a man who he said was breaking into cars in the city.“He was so focused on breaking into cars he never saw me,” said Hunter. “So I watched him break into a car and come out with a bunch of radar equipment, GPS units, so I rode up on him. Even when I rode up on him, and got off my bike to stop him, he still had no idea that I was the police.”The department revamped its bike patrol this summer to help fight crime; however, there’s another reason the program was given extra attention.Wyandotte police are refocusing on community policing, where officers patrol neighborhoods everyday, being visible within communities and hopefully creating relationships with residents.Patrolman Steve Sabo believes the new initiative is already improving police-resident relations.“I can ride the downtown area or the parks and interact with folks and they tell me, ‘I don't feel uncomfortable in Wyandotte. I've lived here 40 years, but I really like you're here because I feel safer.’ And I never really got that feedback before. I think it's pretty neat,” said Sabo.Another side benefit is that the officers are enjoying staying fit and being active during the summer.Most days they easily ride 20 to 30 miles.The program has been so successful this summer that the department already has plans to expand it even further next year.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20654538/detail.html
Now if only the city of Detroit could learn from this.
