Bike patrol keeps officers in close touch with town
By dick metzgar
Freehold Borough patrolmen Mark Wodell (l) and Maurice Parrish, members of the department’s bicycle patrol, chat with Chuck Hearn, plant manager of Nestle Food Corp., during a visit to the firm’s headquarters on Jerseyville Avenue. For the second year in a row, Nestle has presented the police department’s community patrol with $1,000 to be used toward the purchase of new bicycles.
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — The borough has its own real-life version of "Pacific Blue," the popular television police drama based in a West Coast beach town.
During its three years of existence, the borough’s bike patrol has become a welcome sight on local streets — especially in the downtown area — with its officers wearing brightly colored uniforms.
The squad, which has grown from two bicycles and four members three years ago to six bikes and 11 members now, is especially visible during such events as the Memorial Day parade and the monthly Kruise Nites.
The patrol has benefited from the generosity of two local companies — Saturn of Freehold and the Nestle Food Corp., Jerseyville Avenue. Three years ago, Saturn funded the patrol’s first two bicycles. Nestle donated $1,000 in 1999 for the purchase of two more bikes and recently gave the police department $1,000 to purchase another two bikes.
But make no mistake — the bike patrol is much more than just a showpiece for the county seat’s police department, adding an important new dimension to crime prevention in town.
The borough’s overall crime rate has dropped significantly in the last couple of years and Capt. Michael DiAiso, the police department’s Officer in Charge, said he believes the presence of the bike patrol during the summer months has been one of the reasons.
"I think the visibility of the bike patrol has had much to do with the decrease in the crime rate," DiAiso said, noting the latest numbers that showed another de-crease in the borough’s crime rate.
Lt. Michael Beierschmitt recalls that he was a sergeant and a regular patrol supervisor when several of the department’s younger officers approached him about the possibility of creating a bike patrol for the borough. He was to be the bike patrol’s first supervisor.
At the time, the bike patrol consisted of patrolmen John Niesz, Michael Sweet-man, Christopher Colaner and Darnell Esdaile.
Niesz, now a sergeant, is the present supervisor of the squad.
"These guys came to me and suggested that we start a bicycle patrol," Beier-schmitt said. "I thought it would be a good idea, especially in a community like the borough. As a matter of fact, the borough is perfect for bikes because it is such a small community with many narrow streets and alleys which are difficult for squad cars to maneuver through. The bikes have no problem at all going through them. Our crime rate is down and I think the visibility of the bike patrol has a lot to do with that."
Beierschmitt and Patrolman Mark Wodell, the department’s community relations officer who is starting his second year as a member of the squad, said they believe the bike patrol has improved community relations during its three years of existence.
"The response we’ve gotten from the public is mostly positive," Wodell said. "I think the people find it much easier to see us and talk to us than it is with officers in cars. On bikes, we are much more accessible to the people. I think the people feel much more comfortable with us when we are on bikes."
Beierschmitt said officers must be certified each year to be active with the patrol.
"We have to take a three-day special course conducted by Sgt. Niesz," Wodell said. "This includes 3-mile rides on the bikes. We also go through a number of bike patrol exercises, which include how to get off a bike and take down a suspect."
The squad generally patrols the streets from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May through September and is also on hand at special events, weather permitting, Wodell said.
"We can now put six guys on bikes at a time," the officer said. "We feel the bicycle patrol has been a big success."

