Police Bike Patrols Begin on Greenway May 9

Editor's Note: The following is a Minneapolis Police Department press release.

The warm weather is finally upon us and that means people will be riding their bikes. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) 3rd Precinct will once again begin bicycle patrols along the Midtown Greenway starting May 9, 2013. “We are excited about using these patrol techniques to improve public safety, greater visibility in the community, build stronger partnership with the Midtown Greenway Coalition, Crime Prevention Task Force and bicyclists”, said Third Precinct Inspector Michael Sullivan.

The Midtown Greenway is a 5.7 mile long former railroad corridor in south Minneapolis with bicycling and walking trails. The MPD patrol officers will use their bicycles during their regular patrol activities and there will be additional bike patrols on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer with officers from the Bike Rapid Response Team (BRRT).

"Together with our Trail Watch safety patrol, Crime Prevention Task Force, and alert riders who call 911 when they see suspicious activity in the Greenway, the MPD bike patrols will help keep crime low in the corridor.  We look forward to seeing them in the Greenway this summer," said Soren Jensen, executive director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition. 

The MPD Bike Patrol is a voluntary position that officers undertake in addition to their normal duties within the department.  Officers of the MPD Bike patrol undergo a 1 week training course and must successfully negotiate a challenging obstacle course in order to become certified Bike Patrol Officers for the Minneapolis Police Department. The officers who participate in police bike activities are certified through the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) police cyclist course.

In addition to the Bike Patrol, the MPD Bike Rapid Response Team (BRRT) officers are selected from current MPD bike patrol officers and have several years of experience as a bike officer.  These officers receive additional training specific to working with other BRRT members as a part of a larger team.  BRRT responds to large events and provide crowd control around the city.