DPD utilizing bicycle patrols

The Demopolis Police Department has added a new style of patrol to its repertoire for the summer months as two of its officers have taken to the streets on bicycles.

The fully-equipped Smith and Wesson police bicycles allow officers William Gulley and Marcus Williams some distinct advantages over the customary police cruisers.

“While I’m on the bike, it gives a different aspect to be more up close and personal with the people. They don’t expect you to be on the bike and sometimes they just want to stop and chat with you,” Gulley, who serves as a school resource officer during the academic year, said.

Demopolis POlice Department Chief Tommie Reese explained that accessibility is the key component in the design of the initiative.

“The bikes give you more accessibility around the city. You’re able to get into areas without a patrol car being seen,” Reese said. “It also gives you a chance to be more interactive with the citizens that are outside in the yards. (Williams and Gulley) are going around through the city and different sides of town, community policing more or less, meeting with the public, just talking to the kids and so forth. Most of the kids already know them. They see them. They recognize them as the officer at the schools and now they are the officers on the bikes.”

While the bike patrolmen are more accessible to the public, they are also allowed to be more meticulous on patrol given the comparatively slower rate of speed at which they travel.

“You have more time to observe the area you’re patrolling that you wouldn’t normally (have) if you were in the car,” Gulley explained.

The program also carries with it other, less obvious benefits such as the fuel expense the department is saving.

“Right now, their two cars are parked. Those cars are saving gas but the patrols are still going on in the city. They cover a lot more ground in certain parts of the city,” Reese said.

The initiative came at the behest of Williams and Gulley, who brought the idea to Reese’s attention in hopes of landing the summer assignment.

“These officers came to me and they wanted to do this during the summertime. I think it is a great program,” Reese said.

“It came up in a meeting a few months back,” Williams recalled, “and myself and Officer Gulley brought it to his attention again and threw it out there and he granted our wish.”

The fully-equipped bicycles are Smith and Wesson police bikes and contain everything from saddlebags to flashing lights.

“They have blue lights on them,” Reese said. “These bikes have saddlebags on the back of them, water bags. The bikes have ticket book holders for them to write tickets and reports. These These officers can go to a scene and do the same things as if they were in a car.”

As the officers get further into their summer assignment, they are finding it easier to overcome the early obstacles that accompany such an initiative, namely the physical toll that biking can take.

“We both started off beat down, of course,” Williams said. “As the days progress, we’re getting much better. Legs are not hurting as bad. Hills are a little easier.”

Reese said the program will extend through the summer months and potentially into the early portion of the fall. The bicycles may also be utilized in special event patrols such as Freedom on the River and Christmas on the River.