By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Hays police officers swap squad cars for bicycles, gaining a new view of the streets they patrol.
Hays Police Patrol Corporal Alex Broadway said the bike division focuses on community policing, mainly downtown and around Fort Hays State University.
"We're preventing crimes in and of themselves from us being there," Broadway said. "I like to think that because we're preventing those college parties from overgrowing, we would have prevented college kids from getting overly intoxicated, stumbling out and getting struck by a vehicle."
Bike officers undergo a 40-hour training program through the International Police Mountain Bike Association. Dakota Reese, Hays Police patrol sergeant, said this prepares the division to handle any situation.
"The main job of bike patrol at this time of year is in our college areas... you've got 2,000 kids out, there's beer cans, we're hopping curves and moving around illegally parked cars, so that creates its own obstacles," Reese said.
The bike division is most active on weekends, during special events and in warm weather to boost police visibility.
"People are more willing just to come up and chat with us. We're a lot more approachable to members of the community," Broadway said.
Broadway and Reese will participate in Pedal Patrol in the Park at 11 a.m. Sept. 13 at Aubel-Bickle Optimist Park, 30th and Sherman Ave., where they will share safety tips and encourage safe riding in Hays.
"We're hoping for a good time and to have some positive contacts with people in the community," Broadway said.
The event will feature an electric scooter raffle tied to a brief safety presentation, a kids’ safety course, snacks, food trucks and a DJ. A limited number of free helmets will be given away.
Broadway said the bike patrol rides in colder weather with jackets and gloves, but stays off the streets in rain, snow or slippery conditions. Officers typically cover 10 to 15 miles per shift.
According to Broadway, bike patrol officers most often respond to underage drinking, fights and traffic-related incidents. When an arrest is required, a patrol car is called in for transport.
"We can see and hear so much more because we're out there. It's not uncommon for bike officers to catch a DUI and process it," Broadway said.
Broadway said riding a bike does not limit an officer’s ability to serve, as shifts usually finish in a patrol car toward the end of the night. He added the best part of the job is directly engaging with the community.
"Interacting with people who are supportive of what we do, those are some of my favorite moments," he said.
The Hays Police Department launched "Ride Right Hays," a new safety campaign to educate residents on the proper and lawful use of UTVs, ATVs, golf cars, scooters and bicycles.
In addition to Pedal Patrol in the Park, the campaign will also include social media outreach. You can follow the City of Hays Police and Fire on Facebook.