CITY POLICE UNVEIL BICYCLE EQUIPMENT; UNITS MADE FOR POLICE OFFICERS

From a distance they look like typical hard-core cyclists, saddled on mountain bikes equipped with state-of-the-art gear.

But as they approach, the insignia of the Cape Girardeau police badge can be seen on their bright yellow shirts. The gun belt secured around their waists is another contrast.

Meet the Cape Girardeau police bicycle patrol unit. It consists of veterans Ken Rinehart, Charlie Herbst and Brad Haggett and a newcomer to the unit, Officer Homer Markhart.

"I run a lot," said Markhart. "This is another way to keep in shape while I'm working."

With the aid of a grant from the National Safety Coalition, the department was able to purchase three Cannondale 21-speed bicycles this year at a discount price from Cape Bicycle.

"Cannondale makes a police-issue bicycle," said Rinehart. "It comes painted black and white with `police' already printed on it.

"The gears and brakes are also positioned for easy access," he said. "The bikes are equipped with two water bottles, a repair kit and pack on the back to carry a ticket book, a flashlight and other necessary police equipment."

The officers with the exception of Markhart wear a special, lighter-weight nylon gun belt that is better suited for their bike shorts. All wear helmets, gloves and sunglasses or other eye-gear.

The bikes are equipped with a front headlight and a red flashing rear light which can be removed and clipped to the officer's belt, to provide better visibility for the officer.

Although the bicycle unit has been around for almost three years, it made its debut with the new equipment this month at Riverfest.

"I'd bet in the four hours I patrolled on the bike downtown during Riverfest, I talked to 50 people," Markhart said.

"Everybody wants to talk to a cop, but that's just not feasible in a patrol car," he added. "When you're on a bicycle in a crowded situation like Riverfest, people aren't as intimidated and feel they can see that you're a person just like them.

"Patrol cars are very visible and they make people feel safe," Markhart said. "But what good is a patrol car if it just drives by?

"On the bikes you can do a lot more for the public," he said. "We're here to serve the public; not just to arrest people for breaking the law."

Both Rinehart and Markhart said that establishing bicycle patrols would be a huge step in the direction of community-based policing.

"It's gotten to the point where police alone can no longer control crime alone," Markhart said. "It's going to take the police and the public working together a sharing of information to put an end to crime on the streets."

There is a growing trend of people supplying police officers with information about suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, schools or cities.

Rinehart said that people are less likely to approach an officer sitting in a patrol car to give him information, "because they always have that sense that they're being watched that someone sees them and word will get out.

"But when people see an officer on a bicycle without the uniform; without the flashing lights they feel much more comfortable," Rinehart said.

Right now, the department only uses its bike unit during special events like Riverfest, the SEMO District Fair or, most recently, the Midnight Ramble bicycle ride during Riverfest.

"Everyone else rode 12 miles that night," Herbst said. "We rode about 20. We helped people with bike trouble, circled around the group, helped with traffic, everything."

Markhart believes that two to four officers in good shape could patrol an entire zone on bicycles.

"That kind of thing just isn't feasible right now," Markhart said. "We don't have the manpower or the money for something like that."

Markhart said that there are jurisdictions throughout the nation that have year-round, full-time bicycle patrols operating successfully.

Much of the bicycle campaign centers around a new program called COPPs Community Oriented Policing Project. Many new officers in municipalities other than Cape Girardeau are required to have some sort of COPPs training before hitting the streets.

"We hope to attend that program soon," Rinehart said. "It's something that's becoming very necessary in policing."

The bicycles are not only for public relations, but also make effective crime-fighting tools, Rinehart said.

"One of the drawbacks of patrol cars is that criminals can see it coming a long way away," Rinehart said. "Criminals aren't looking out for bikes.

"I sat on a bike just a few yards away from two people making a marijuana deal at the (SEMO District) Fair," he continued. "I rode up right between them; they were so stunned that they just stood there with the stuff in their hands."

The bicycle patrol was used last year to help patrol an area where there had been a rash of burglaries.

"We could easily pull someone over on Broadway," Markhart said. "We would just ride up next to them and tell the person to pull over."

And what if the person refused? "No matter how fast you go, you can't outrun a radio," Rinehart said.

Bicycles are also used to demonstrate bicycle safety to adults and their children.

"We wear helmets, gloves the full gear to set a safety example for the kids," Rinehart said. "Since I got involved with this unit, I don't let people roll through stoplights or intersections on bicycles.

"Bicyclists have to follow the same rules of the road that motorists do and allow cars the consideration they deserve," he continued. "Because if a bicyclist is in an accident with a car, it's the cyclist who is going to lose."

There are negative aspects to the bicycles, Markhart said.

"You're much more susceptible to getting run over by a motorist," he said. "You also have the constraints of weather; you can't pursue someone driving a car; and people can shoot at you because you're really out in the open."

Another restraint is the cost of the equipment and the manpower needed to staff a full-time bicycle patrol unit.

"We're happy with what we have so far," Rinehart said. "Money is tight; maybe someday we'll have full time officers patrolling certain zones in the city on bicycles."