State-Journal.com - They go where cars can't

Photo By Hilly Schiffer Lt. Joe Parkhill, with the Kentucky State University Police Department, patrols the area around the Exum Center on one of the department's new bicycles.

Photo By Hilly SchifferLt. Joe Parkhill, with the Kentucky State University Police Department, patrols patrols past Dominique Newton, a KSU freshman, on one of the department's new bicycles.

When given the choice of driving a cruiser or making the rounds on foot, Lt. Joe Parkhill prefers a third option: two wheels.

Parkhill is one of eight Kentucky State University police officers patrolling campus this semester on bicycles.

The department purchased three 24-speed mountain bikes from Capital City Cycles in September and sent officers to Richmond for training last month. The bikes and equipment cost $2,100.

Bikes allow officers to travel farther and go more places on KSU’s hilly, wooded campus. They can even ride in residence halls and classroom buildings.

Parkhill, who cycled for a decade with the Nicholasville and University of Kentucky police departments, says bikes are easier to use than cruisers and faster than suspects on foot.

He got his start riding dirt bikes in Italy while stationed there as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army.

“I’ve always enjoyed anything on two wheels,” he said Friday, before pedaling across a campus parking lot. “It’s more fun to ride around, and I like it better than walking.”

Police Chief Stephanie Bastin says the new patrol is part of an effort to build a community-oriented police force. Officers will respond to emergencies, run regular patrols and work university events on bicycle.

“People underestimate how important it is to have communication between the university police and the community,” she said.

“Officers on a bike are much more approachable – you break down the barrier of that vehicle.”

The bicycles come with a helmet, safety glasses or sunglasses, gloves to protect hands from blisters or cuts, extra inner tubes in case a tire pops, police forms and a headlight.

Like police cruisers, the bicycles and helmets are marked on the side.

To patrol on bicycle, police officers must complete 40 hours of training through an instructor or school. Eight of KSU’s 12 police officers are bike certified.

Officers ride 20 to 40 miles each day during the weeklong training.

They bob and weave through an obstacle course, and learn to shoot firearms from the bicycle seat. They practice dismounting techniques and maintenance.

Instructors throw the officers in the deep end early on, sending them on a steep ride down a flight of stairs. Parkhill says it’s a bumpy lesson that builds confidence in new riders.

Officers can use their bicycle to take down a suspect, sliding the tires into their ankles – Parkhill says it’s safer than tackling someone.

The height of a bike seat also gives officers better visibility. Without the sound of an engine, they can ride right up to a drug deal or break-in without being seen.

They are also more environmentally friendly than vehicles, he said, and give officers a health boost.

“You’re getting a workout while you’re working,” he said.

Andrew Plant, manager of Capital City Cycles, said the shop works with law enforcement agencies to bring bicycles into the limelight.

Capital City Cycles offers a 10 percent discount to employees of the military, law enforcement and government.

“The more we can get official people on bicycles, the more the eyes of the community open up to see it as a legitimate form of recreation and transportation,” Plant said.

“It’s a form of public support. They provide us a service, and the better representation we can get through them is better for everyone.”

The program will expand as the budget allows, Bastin said. The bikes are expensive, she said, but it’s cheaper than buying a cruiser that requires maintenance and gas.

The university has five patrol cars – three marked, and two unmarked.

“They can go where cars can’t,” she said. “It’s a really good fit for a university.”