West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner has announced that the force is investing £50,000 in electric bikes. John Campion said e-bikes would make officers more visible and accessible to the public and would also allow them to travel greater distance than on ordinary bikes.
Campion had previously allocated £25,000 for e-bikes in March. The BBC reports that the latest batch will comprise both off-road and hybrid bikes.
Campion said “Our communities tell us time and time again that they want their police officers to be visible and accessible.
“Officers on bikes have been a traditional part of policing for many years, but by investing in more modern improvements to this, allows officers to cover vast distances of communities quickly as needed, engaging with the public, with the added benefit of reducing the environmental impact.”
West Mercia Chief Superintendent for Local Policing Paul Moxley added: “These are a really welcome addition to complement our current fleet and will add an extra dimension to our ability to get to our more rural communities.
“Our Safer Neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs will be able to make great use of these new bikes and we’re pleased that we will be able to extend our reach, increase our visibility and make a small but important step to reducing the environmental impact of our fleet.”
The news was announced on social media alongside photos of Haibike mid-motor e-bikes. The force is at pains to emphasise these will not be used as ‘response’ vehicles, but instead primarily for community policing.
In contrast, we reported last year how police in Mexicali, Mexico had taken delivery of high power Delfast e-bikes fitted out specifically for law enforcement.
The 5000W Top Cop – a version of the Delfast’s Top 2.0 – features a GPS tracker, police horn and lights, as well as radio and weapon mounts.
The Top Cop’s speed is capped at 50mph (80km/h) and the firm reckons it can compete with most cars when it comes to acceleration.
While these are clearly very different vehicles, the use of ‘green’ bikes was again a primary concern with Mexicali being one of the most polluted cities in Mexico.
