Golden Valley Police Start Bike Patrol Unit
Golden Valley residents may see a new police unit in their neighborhoods this summer, but instead of driving in a patrol car, they’ll be riding bicycles.
The Golden Valley Police Department recently announced that it launched a new bike patrol unit.
Two of Golden Valley’s police officers have been certified for bike patrol duties.
Golden Valley Assistant Police Chief Rudy Perez said the addition of a bike patrol unit can help with community engagement.
“This pulls the officer out of the patrol car, this gives the officer the ability more to engage on a personal level,” he said. “I love it when we drive our bikes through a park and kids come up to us and we get to give a sticker away or we get to talk about the lights.”
The Golden Valley Police Department is continuing to grow, according to Assistant Chief Rudy Perez. By mid-September, the department will have 27 sworn officers. It’s budgeted for 31.
Residents will also likely see bike units at big city events or festivals. According to Perez, these bike units are more agile than a squad car in a crowded area.
Recruitment and retention remain important for the Golden Valley Police Department.
After officer staffing levels dropped in recent years, Perez said the department is growing. By mid-September, the department will have 27 sworn officers. It’s budgeted for 31.
The bike unit represents part of the department’s retention efforts.
“As we’ve grown in Golden Valley and the staffing has grown here, we believe that part of the retention also for officers is to have a diverse way of patrolling and the ability for them to do something else other than patrol cars,” Perez said.
He encouraged residents to talk with bike patrol officers if they see them in their neighborhood.
