Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 4, 1993 TAG: 9305040467
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke may get both.
In the aftermath of publicity about a proposal for officers on horseback downtown, City Council was urged Monday to put some officers on bicycles.
"I know horses are pretty and mounted police are a show, but officers on bicycles are more effective, cheaper and faster," said Barbara Duerk, a leader in the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club.
Unlike with horses, she said, there are no problems with upkeep.
Duerk, a member of the bicycle advisory committee for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said several localities in Northern Virginia use police officers on bicycles.
Officers on bicycles have more accessibility than those on horses, she said.
Duerk said bicycles for police patrols could be part of a city policy to emphasize bicycles as an alternative form of transportation.
The city needs more bike paths, she said.
"The solution to downtown parking problems is not more parking garages," she said. "Alternative forms of transportation need to be used."
Council members indicated her suggestion would be considered, but no immediate action was taken.
George Snead, director of public safety, disclosed that city officials already are looking into the possibility of putting some officers on bicycles.
The city might use bicycle officers in its Community Oriented Policing Effort program, Snead said.
In the COPE program, teams of officers work in specific neighborhoods, get to know the residents and help ease their fears about crime.
Mayor David Bowers said he didn't consider Duerk's proposal to mean that the city would have to choose between horses and bicycles. Both are possible, he said.
City and downtown officials are nearing an agreement to have two mounted officers help provide police services in downtown.
Two mounted officers from Virginia Beach patroled in downtown this past weekend to demonstrate the advantages in maneuverability, visibility and crowd control.
Kim Kimbrough, executive director for Downtown Roanoke Inc. said last week that a tax-exempt foundation will be created to finance the mounted police.
Start-up costs are estimated to be $23,000.
ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL IN OTHER ACTION: Banned the ban: Agreed to allow trucks to travel on Brandon Avenue between Franklin Road and Edgewood Street without fear of being ticketed. A little-known city ordinance has banned westbound trucks on Brandon for 25 years, and a longtime administrative decree has banned eastbound trucks because of complaints by residents about noise. City police have periodically enforced the ban, but officials said they consider it to be outdated. Paved the way: Awarded a $985,000 contract to Adams Construction Co. to pave 60 lane miles of streets. Donated land: Agreed to donate its share of a strip of land at the Roanoke Regional Landfill so that Rutrough Road can be widened for access to Explore Park. Land exchange: Voted to exchange small parcels of land with the Blue Hills Golf Course to provide better access to 17 acres of land in the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology that is being sold to Transkrit Corp.
by CNB