THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 12, 1995 TAG: 9507110110
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JODY R. SNIDER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Long : 154 lines
IT'S A SIMPLE CONCEPT: Crime goes down when neighborhood residents get to know their police officers.
But most police, including Isle of Wight sheriff's deputies, patrol in cars. They're cut off from the personal touch of the beat patrol officer. And in areas of higher crime, people on the streets often scatter and go inside as a sheriff's brown patrol car approaches.
But Isle of Wight deputies Timmy Worrell and Paul Phelps are attracting crowds most everywhere they go these days.
They've traded four-wheeled, motorized transportation for two sleek wheels, helmets and leg power.
And local citizens suddenly want to know why two sheriff's deputies are riding bicycles instead of cruising in cars.
``Hey, man, where'd you guys get those bikes?'' asked one Windsor youth, as they biked their way on a recent afternoon.
``Cool ride,'' said another boy as he pedaled up, glanced at the black mountain bikes and sped off.
The attention brings smiles to Worrell and Phelps, son of Sheriff C.W. Phelps, and to people who have seen the two officers since they began pedaling their Trek bicycles on county roads June 16.
Pumping against heat and humidity, down country roads, into subdivisions and onto major highways, the two-man bicycle patrol pounds the pavement like the old beat cops once did, carrying their night sticks.
Top speed so far: about 28 mph. Mileage per week for the pair: near 80.
They may be covering as much territory, but this form of transportation is cheaper. When these guys fuel up, it's on Gatorade or iced tea. And they enjoy chats at convenience stores.
``Everybody asks, `What did you two do to deserve this?' '' Worrell said as he wiped sweat from his face on a recent patrol. ``We tell 'em, `Nothing. We asked for it.' ''
``We're always ready to try anything new,'' Phelps said. ``And we don't like to fail.''
It isn't all conversation, though. Just recently the sheriff's bike team saw an 18-year-old driver zip through the flashing railroad-crossing gates in Windsor and cited him with reckless driving.
``He never saw us until it was too late,'' Phelps said.
``We shouted, `Sheriff's office!','' Worrell said, ``and he stopped.''
Although most any call can be responded to on the bikes, Worrell said the idea is to use them as a public relations tool to meet the people and get to know the communities.
The team rides four hours a day, three days a week in assigned areas. Phelps said they might ride two hours in one area, load the bikes on the car, drive to another location, and ride a few more hours.
``The car is a barrier,'' Worrell said. ``You may ride through with your car windows down, but people won't talk to you. With the bikes, people are shouting at you from front porches.''
``We were over in Gatling Pointe the other day,'' Phelps said, ``and a man sitting on his porch yelled, `Hey! I don't know whose idea this is, but this is great!' ''
As they pedaled through Twin Ponds Mobile Home Park in Windsor, they were waved down by resident Cheryl Schwalbe as she got her mail.
``Hi! How ya doing today?'' Worrell asked as they rode up to her.
``Doing good,'' Schwalbe said with a big smile. ``It's good to see you out here. Any time you guys want a cool drink of water or a cold Pepsi, you let me know.''
Down the road at Windsor Court Apartments, manager Deborah Coble said she likes the bikes, too.
``When the police cars used to come, the people causing the problems would see the cars and leave,'' she said. ``But with the bikes, they don't see them coming.
``Talk here now is, `You need to be careful. The police are on bikes, and you never know what they'll show up on next,' '' she said, laughing.
Coble said when she became apartment manager two years ago, the complex averaged four to five calls on each police shift.
``There was a prostitution house, three active drug houses, a shot house and gang problems,'' she said. ``You might see 15 people hanging out on one car.''
``Two years ago, we had five police cars parked at the office here, and someone took five shots at us,'' Worrell said. ``By the time we reached the place we thought it had come from, they were gone.''
Most of those problems have disappeared, Coble and the officers say. Many of the younger tenants have moved out, and older folks have moved in. But police still get called, and Coble believes the bike patrol will deter troublemakers.
The story in Camptown, near Union Camp Corp., is much the same.
Ten months ago, this community of mostly older residents was riddled with street-corner drug deals and out-of-state buyers, police say.
Last September, the Sheriff's Department moved against the drug trade by arresting many of what police say were the core sellers. Many are still in jail, police say, and others have moved on.
But residents say if it can happen once, it can happen again.
So Worrell and Phelps cycle Camptown, looking for those who don't belong and talking with those who do.
``Things have gotten better,'' said one elderly Camptown resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ``Some still don't know they're here on the bikes. I'm telling people, and they feel better just knowing.''
``There hasn't been much trouble at night,'' said Camptown resident David Rumble. ``But in the daytime, it's like a race track around here.''
Ernest T. Fletcher, security manager for the Fine Paper Division of Union Camp, said he likes the bikes because employees feel a sense of security as they walk the fitness course outside of the plant.
``Seeing these guys on bikes raises employee confidence,'' he said.
Cost to outfit the two officers with gear and three Trek mountain bikes with multiple gears totaled $3,171.
But Sheriff Phelps said the dividends will be great.
``Our goal is not to solve crimes but to deter them. That personal contact with the people will keep us better informed on any potential criminal activity. And citizen reaction will determine whether this is a success or failure.''
Success already has come in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Newport News.
The Newport News Police Department, for example, started a bicycle patrol two years ago, hoping to deter crime in high-crime areas like the city's East End. Today, the patrol has been so successful that 12 officers ride eight-hour shifts exclusively for the bike patrol. And more officers are expected to be assigned to bikes in the future, Sgt. Rick George said.
``The most beneficial factor of the bike patrol is that interaction between officers and the community occurs more frequently because the officers are more accessible,'' he said. ``But a bike patrol also brings with it the element of surprise. Our bike officers have been able to ride right up on a drug buy, leap off their bikes to apprehend both buyer and seller. That's what a bike patrol allows you to do.''
Although many of the Newport News patrols are assigned to high-crime areas, that's not the case in Isle of Wight.
``We haven't based the patrol on crime statistics,'' Sheriff Phelps said. ``We're basing it on community involvement. You got to move in the '90s. You got to move with the times, and times are changing. You got to use these ideas.''
``You're not doing less - you're doing more,'' Deputy Phelps said. ``You're in the areas. The only difference is you're closer to the people.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
PEDALING A BEAT
[Color Photo]
Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Deputy Tim Worrell unloads a bike from the Isle of Wight sheriff's
patrol car.
Deputy Paul Phelps dons a helmet before beginning his bike patrol.
He and his partner, Worrell, ride their bikes four hours a day,
three days a week getting to know the people in Isle of Wight.
Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Deputies Paul Phelps, left, and Tim Worrell check out an area during
a patrol. Phelps says the bikes get them ``closer to the people.''
Wearing shorts, his gun on his hip, Worrell pedals his black
mountain bicycle.
by CNB