Shropshire’s growing band of police cyclists have made a big impression since they were reintroduced three years ago.
The once familiar sight of bobbies on their bikes had almost disappeared in Shropshire until West Mercia Police decided to revive its “cycling corps” in 2005.
Since then, the numbers of constables and community support officers with bikes has steadily grown with around 50 now a common feature of local policing across the county.
Inspector Kim Downing, of the local policing unit, said: “There is no doubt that our cyclists have been a huge success with the public. Really, they were brought back by popular demand. The public always want to see police officers walking the beat rather than in patrol cars, and having officers on bikes is a good halfway measure. They are visible, accessible and still able to attend incidents within a reasonable time.
“Road safety is such a vital issue and remains one of our priorities in Shropshire. We lead by example making sure the bikes are properly maintained with good brakes and lighting.
Our officers are also very much aware of the need to be safely kitted out, with protective helmets and reflective clothing”.
She said more and more people were now becoming regular cyclists for a variety of reasons – to save costs on fuel consumption, to reduce their carbon footprint and as a means of keeping fit.
“We are keeping pace with this change. Police officers on two wheels can cover so much more ground compared with being on foot patrol and yet are readily accessible.
“For example, while cycling round housing estates, they can easily stop to talk if members of the public have issues they wish to discuss.”
Many of Shropshire’s 81 community support officers also now have bikes in the county’s 43 Local Policing areas.
Inspector Downing added: “We have received good feedback from the public. They like to see officers out and about on their bikes. It’s a reassuring and friendly presence which they can turn to with ease.”
She also praised Shropshire County Council for providing six new bikes funded from its Shropshire Access Partnership which aims to give a better service to those living in rural communities.
The cycling bobby in Shropshire is a trend likely to grow in the future as West Mercia continues to develop its Citizen Focus approach as it seeks to become more accessible in meeting the public’s needs.
