People Incorporated, a non-profit agency in downtown Fall River, awarded a $5,500 donation to the city’s police department so it can purchase two top-of-the-line bicycles for police patrol purposes.
Speaking at a recent news conference, Mayor Sam Sutter stated that police bike controls are “completely consistent with what we want to do with community policing,” meaning making the interactions with citizens more personal.
Police Chief Dan Racine agrees. He says bicycle patrolling is “the best community policing in the state, and this is exactly how we do it…We’re (officers) are stopping, talking, communicating with people, having face-to-face contact.”
Chief Racine also believes the interpersonal communication makes for better police interaction with the public, since the officers are not just zipping by them in their patrol cars at 30 miles an hour. Instead, the one-on-one interaction gives the officer’s a better perception in the eyes of the public.
The new bikes are lighter in weight and include a bag on the back of the seat to store tools like work gloves and citation pads.
The bicycles will be purchased by Scottee’s in Westport.
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