Bike Patrol Gives Officers Leg Up

[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.

[FlyByDon]

Nothing new about this. Beat patrols were always an effective crime fighting tool. Remember the term "Flat Foot"? Now the term will be Flat A** In any case nothing will ever overcome being close to the community and beat patrols are the answer to crime fighting. Be it bicycle or foot patrol get the po-po's back on the street.
How many big belly beat cops have you seen?

[homewreckingcops]

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.

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.

[lilpup]

Doesn't Detroit have bike patrols? I think they do. A number of cities in the area do.

[Retroit]

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.

Maybe he likes the bikes because he can sneak up on other guys' wives.

Has your wife pressed charges on this guy for stalking and/or sought a personal restraining order? I may have missed it from your website, but has she been completely innocent in this matter, i.e. have all relations with this man been "unwelcomed" by your wife? [[No offense to your wife if I misread.)

[Todd_Scott]

Yes, the Detroit Police have a bike patrol.

[homewreckingcops]

No she wasnt innocent of this to begin with, the major problem is that despite being told by the chief/husband to stay away from her that meant nothing to him went on for 18 months, racking up thousands of textes right after being told to have no contact with her, going to her place of employment over and over but remember this all happens while we are paying his salary that is the main problem here is wasting taxpayers money for his own selfish gains, giving up personal confidential information to her and of course being front and center of the 3 kids over and over. We are talking 18 hours a day of texting a majority of this on duty. End results he did what he wanted to despite being told over and over to stop, this mentality is the issue at hand, these 3 teens are now fearful of this homewrecker who they must see all the time as they are enrolled in the schools, they have seen home over and over with his shinning lights on the house, meeting them all over the city with my kids in the car, none of that matter to him, all that matter was his quest to notch another notch on his bed post and this is not isolated check the forum as well others report the same situations as well, he has no morals and has no idea what ethics are. He is a cancer in a otherwise fine department.

Maybe he likes the bikes because he can sneak up on other guys' wives.

Has your wife pressed charges on this guy for stalking and/or sought a personal restraining order? I may have missed it from your website, but has she been completely innocent in this matter, i.e. have all relations with this man been "unwelcomed" by your wife? [[No offense to your wife if I misread.)

[Danny]

It a good ideal to keep crime down. Wyandotte Police are riding their bikes to catch some preps. Wynadotte officials are trying to make their city a beautiful place to live that would be the equivalent to the Five Grosse Pointes.