THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310224
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 37 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 75 lines
OUT-OF-STATE property owners, year-rounders and vacationers will be able to rest a little easier this year, thanks to a tried and true mode of transportation.
For the first time this summer, the Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills Police departments will have officers working their beats on bicycles.
Nags Head Police Chief Charles Cameron, a former assistant chief in Norfolk, has seen the program work in a large urban setting and in small communities.
``The two policing scenarios are vastly different,'' Cameron said. ``But the one area of common ground is that it brings police officers closer to the community. Here, it helps us in the neighborhoods, as well as in strip shopping malls and other areas here.''
Kill Devil Hills Deputy Chief G.M. Harris agreed.
``This is an extension of community-based policing,'' Harris said. ``It's like our ocean rescue. The bicycle patrol gives us greater face-to-face contact with the community.''
In all, nine officers - five from Kill Devil Hills, four from Nags Head - were trained by bike patrol officers from Norfolk.
Cameron said bicycles provide officers with a different look that may take offenders by surprise.
``Criminals are used to seeing a uniformed police officer in a standard police vehicle,'' Cameron said. ``This gives us some flexibility.''
The bike patrol officers drive a regular patrol car, Harris said. The bicycles are stored on racks on the vehicles.
``The use of the patrol car enables officers to respond to calls quickly,'' Harris said. ``But the bicycle enables them to get to places that a patrol car can't get to, and the bicycle is not as much of a distraction as the patrol car.''
The bicycles are used primarily in the neighborhoods to check businesses and residences. Homes used primarily as vacation cottages are sometimes empty during certain periods of the summer, and vulnerable to break-ins. Authorities hope the bike patrols will increase police visibility, and decrease property crimes.
``The main advantage of bicycle patrols is that officers aren't enclosed in a car,'' Harris said. ``It's a lot easier to talk to folks on the side of the road. When you're patrolling at night, if a car pulls into a driveway of an empty house with its lights on, the neighbors wonder what's going on. A bicycle is a lot less disruptive.''
In Nags Head, the bicycle cops are used in a variety of ways.
``We use them extensively in our community watch program,'' Cameron said. ``We have the town divided into 22 neighborhoods. It's much easier to check a house or business to make sure they are secured. We've also used them as part of a stakeout after we had a string of burglaries in South Nags Head.''
The units were also used in crowd control at the town's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the upcoming Fourth of July fireworks display.
``The bikes are very helpful,'' Cameron said. ``They go places where regular patrol cars cannot go.''
Harris said the bicycle patrols also help the departments in other ways.
``We save money on gasoline in patrol cars, and it helps officers stay in shape,'' Harris said. ``We haven't figured out the amount of money we save in fuel, but you can't put a price on the help of police officers.''
Harris said the initial effect of bicycle patrols as a deterrent to crime is not known. But he said the patrols are worth the $6,000 investment made by his department.
``It will take awhile to see any impact in terms of number of arrests,'' Harris said. ``But I know people in the community have told me that they like seeing police officers on the bikes. We're able to come in contact with more people. That helps everybody.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Nags Head Police Bike Patrol Officer Dusty Remaley, left, represents
a new community policing method that is used with traditional
patrols done by Officer Ben Whitehurst. by CNB