By Ruza Zivkusic
THE boys in blue are back on bikes.
Keilor Downs Police have a new way of tackling crime in the area thanks to the recently introduced bike patrol unit at the station.
Inspecting little laneways and catching offenders at shopping centres and at car parks will become easier as the three bicycles will allow the officers to reach the hard-to-get places and be more visible to the community, Keilor Downs Leading Senior Constable Gerard Dickinson said.
The $5000 worth purchase of the Trek 6000 bikes was made possible with donations from Brimbank City Council, Keilor Rotary Club, Watergardens Town Centre and the Police Community Consultative Committee.
Five police officers have been trained to use the bikes and they officially started the first day of bike patrolling last Sunday at the St Albans Lunar Festival in Alfrieda St.
“A few of my friends might laugh about the state of my fitness,” Sen Const Gerard Dickinson said.
“But it’s a good way to maintain our level of fitness,” he added.
Keilor Downs Police is the second police station to start using bike patrols in the area. Caroline Springs Police have been using bicycles to patrol the Caroline Springs corridor since last December.
Caroline Springs Sergeant Warren Greene said officers on bikes arrested four people since the introduction of the part-time program.
“It is an advantage because members get there reasonably quickly, quietly and as a result are able to apprehend a number of offenders for traffic offences and crime offences,” Sgt Greene told Star.
He said the unit would work together with the Melton Police’s bike patrol unit to provide greater coverage of the areas.
Acting Senior Sergeant Tim O’Connor from Sunshine Police said the station’s officers were “thinking about” introducing bike patrol but refused to comment on whether it was needed in Sunshine.
“It’s another resource that you can call on which may or may not improve our ability to patrol those areas,” Sen Sgt O’Connor said.
