Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 30, 1994                   TAG: 9403300054
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BICYCLE POLICE RIDING HERD ON CRIME

"He was always very hard to find," said Roanoke police officer Todd Clingenpeel.

One afternoon, as Clingenpeel talked to a group of children during his community-policing patrol, the police dispatcher radioed that the man had returned to his girlfriend's home. He was knocking on the window, trying to get in.

Clingenpeel was about a quarter of a mile away. He and another officer jumped on their mountain bikes and cruised to the scene.

"We got there, hopped the curb, biked through the grassy area and up behind the suspect," said Clingenpeel. "We got him for trespassing and assaulting the woman."

Without the bikes, it would have been difficult to do that, he said. The suspect did not run, because he did not hear police approach.

The bike patrol unit first rolled March 1, with Clingenpeel and officers James Fazio and Charles Flint gearing up to ride between 10 and 26 miles a day in their patrol areas. As members of the community-policing unit, the bike patrol officers focus on five high-crime areas in the city: Lincoln Terrace Northwest, Hunt Avenue Northwest, Hurt Park Southwest, Jamestown Place Southeast and Indian Rock Village Southeast.

The goal of the community-policing effort is not just to police an area, but also deal with potential problems. With the bikes, officers can service a greater area than if they were on foot, said Lt. Steve Wills, who heads the unit.

"By the use of the police mountain bike, you can cover more ground, be more visible, and your response to calls is quicker," said Clingenpeel. "Plus, it's much safer than using a vehicle when you're covering areas with lots of foot traffic."

In October, the three Roanoke officers trained for a week at the criminal justice center in Waynesboro, learning about traffic strategies, pursuit tactics and bike patrol at night. The week of training and the purchase of two special-made mountain bikes cost the department about $6,200.

"It allows you to maintain contact with the people," Wills said. "The bikes give police the mobility to answer the call if it's several blocks away. They're quicker than if they're on foot. It's the best of both worlds with a bike.

"And the kids love them, they're full of questions."

Where patrol cars once wound their way through narrow, curved roads in Lincoln Terrace, bikes now ride - off road and on. The reaction from area residents has been mixed, said Fazio.

"Some think it's neat," he said. "They turn and wave. Some of the thugs get a kick out of it and make fun of us."

To longtime resident Carolyn Johnson, the bike patrol is doing just fine. In fact, she said, it doesn't much matter whether the police walk or ride.

"I think they're equally good, whether they're on foot or on bikes," she said. "We know they're here. And I'm pleased with the way things are going. Since the community-policing unit has come on board, things have gotten better."