Police using bike patrol
during warmer months
BY SETHMANDEL
Staff Writer
JAMESBURG — Borough police have been out patrolling the streets and sidewalks on bicycles this summer.
"We routinely run bike patrols in the summer, when we have a full squad," said Police Chief David Lester.
Police Commissioner and Councilwoman Barbara Carpenter said the bike patrol officers work mainly during special events, such as the Fourth of July parade and the annual street fair, but Mayor Anthony LaMantia and Lester both agreed that such police activity would be useful on the weekends as well.
"It’s just being more visible and proactive for the residents to see," Carpenter said.
According to Lester, the police department provides a bike patrol instructional course that officers have to take before they are assigned to the patrol. The course is approximately one week long, and offers instruction on the differences between patrolling on a bicycle and in a car.
Lester said that seven of the 13 full-time officers in Jamesburg are certified for the bike patrol, as is one of the two part-time officers.
The bike patrol officers carry equipment with them so they are prepared to deal with any situation they might encounter. Lester said the officers carry a water bottle, basic first-aid supplies, a motor vehicle summons book and a flashlight, in addition to the usual paperwork supplies, handgun and handcuffs the officers have on them at all times.
Lester said that when four officers are on patrol at a given time, two of them will be assigned bicycle duty and two will patrol in cars.
Carpenter noted that during the summer, many towns assign officers to work outside of their patrol cars, with officers patrolling on horseback in some towns.
She said the bicycles will allow for more comprehensive police coverage in the town.
"You’ll be able to go in tighter places that you couldn’t with a car," Carpenter said. "There’s a lot of advantages."