Police pedal power

(CNS): There are considerable advantages to policing the district on two wheels says West Bay area commander Chief Inspector Angelique Howell who recently went out on patrol on a bicycle with neighbourhood officer PC Devon Bailey. She said that feedback from residents and business owners has been encouraging with people commenting that the initiative makes the police more visible. “Working on two wheels means we can access areas which vehicles cannot and we can be easily stopped by the public if they want to speak with us,” Howell said.

“Obviously there will be times when bikes are not suitable, for example we cannot respond quickly to emergency situations on two wheels, but cycle patrols have a very important part to play in our overall strategy,” she added.

The police hope that residents will take full advantage of the bicycle patrols and that officers will find themselves more accessible to the public.

“People can approach the officers to chat to them about any problem they may have, report an incident or pass on information about crime taking place. “Officers will also be able to access off-road areas to check out for themselves what’s going on,” Howell explained.

Anyone with information about crime taking place in West Bay should contact the local police station on 949-3999 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.