Denver is joining several other cities around the US in adding dozens of electric bikes to police department patrol vehicles.
According to local Fox 31 KDVR, Denver will add 27 new electric bikes to its police force, spread across six police districts.
The new e-bike program, spearheaded by the Denver City Council, Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez, members of the Denver Police Department, and the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resilience, will help provide officers with an accessible mobile platform. areas that patrol cars cannot access while allowing the police to respond as quickly as possible.
It's yet another example of Denver making electric bikes a priority in the city, after it recently announced an additional $1.3M in funding for its e-bike discount program designed to make e-bikes more affordable for residents hoping to switch commutes. in cars it worked very well. other means of transportation. That discount program has proven so popular with residents that when each category of discounts is opened, they are usually received in less than a minute.
Denver police's adoption of electric bikes is one example of a rapidly growing trend. The Los Angeles Police Department has used electric bikes (seen above) on a variety of their vehicles for several years.
Many police departments have touted the benefits of electric bikes, which can easily access places like public parks, crowded city centers, and other places where traditional patrol cars are kept.
Compared to pedal bikes, e-bikes allow police to get to the call faster and with less wind when they arrive.
They are even used for street patrols, where police on electric bikes have been seen pulling cars over for hire like police officers in patrol cars.
E-bikes have also been proven to significantly reduce costs for police departments. Besides the obvious savings on fuel compared to patrol cars with internal combustion engines, e-bikes have also significantly reduced the maintenance costs associated with police vehicle fleets.
Who knows, the next time you run that stop sign or creep too far over the speed limit, the blue and red lights on your windshield might be put on the handlebars.
Top image: Dall-E AI made; second image: provided courtesy of the LAPD
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