Bicycle Patrol Unit

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office has outfitted and trained several deputies as bicycle patrol officers.

The use of bicycles for police patrol provides many benefits to the citizens of the county. Since doors and windows do not surround them, deputies on bicycles are more approachable than those in cars. This promotes greater citizen involvement in law enforcement which is a major tenet of community oriented policing. In many situations, bicycle mounted deputies can respond quicker and more efficiently than those on foot or even in a car. Often bicycle deputies are able to patrol where cars cannot go and where foot patrol would be impractical because of time and distance constraints.

Deputies in the unit must complete a 40-hour Basic Bicycle Patrol Training Course, sanctioned by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. Training involves: learning to ride the bike safely in all traffic and weather conditions, obstacle avoidance, slow speed maneuvering, law enforcement tactics and bike maintenance.

In addition to patrol duties, deputies in the unit promote bicycle safety with educational programs at schools and through their participation in bicycle rodeos, helmet give-aways, and safety demonstrations.