On the origins of bike policing

[ChezCheese:)]

Here's an article about how police on bikes started in Seattle. It has a link to the Crosscut podcast in it, if you like to listen to podcasts.

How Seattle Police put bikes at the forefront of protest clashes

Local bike cops drove a national evolution toward forceful crowd tactics — and made money doing it.

crosscut.com

 

[PedalUma]

Huntington beach has had bike patrols for a long time. Thirty-five or forty years-ago it is how they could spot people smoking weed or with open containers on the beach. My town's police are attached to their SUVs and don't see 95% of what is going on. They are also the worst drivers in town. If everyone drove using their leading example the traffic deaths would skyrocket.

 

[rich c]

Horses were far superior to the bicycle for law enforcement. 4 legs so hard to fall over. So much taller, so better views. Plus who wants to get stepped on by a horse?