Washington Township Police Department

BIKE PATROL UNIT

The Community Policing Unit oversees the Police Department Bike Unit. Bicycle patrol units are a relatively new method of serving the community. Today, Bicycle patrol units are found both nationally and internationally.

In Washington Township, the bicycle unit is a relatively new tool that was implemented in order to better serve the residents. The bicycle patrol unit is a proactive approach to law enforcement. The mission of the bicycle patrol unit is to commit as many officers and time to the bike unit as feasible. While on bike patrol, the bike officers are expected to interact with the community as much as possible. Officers trained for bicycle patrol duty are authorized to perform bike patrol during their shift by the shift supervisor.

Bicycle patrol officers receive training at a police cyclist course where officers are instructed how to perform emergency maneuvers, to ascend and descend stairs and curbs, and how to dismount their bikes to effect an arrest. Bicycle Patrol Officers receive a proficiency certificate from either the L.E.B.A. (Law Enforcement Bicycle Association) or the I.P.M.B.A. (International Police Mountain Bike Association) upon completion of their training. Currently, six members of the department have completed the training. Lt. Mark Niemynski, Corporals William McCarthy III, Robert Oranchak, Patrol Officers John Wurtemberg, Thomas Falleni, Dave Marut, all received L.E.B.A. certificates.

The bicycles of the bike patrol unit were both purchased by the department and donated by generous citizens. The first bike, a Cannondale bike was obtained as a result of a grant by the Neumann Foundation. The Neumann Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by the Neumann family in memory of Police Officer Keith Neumann, who was accidentally killed during a pre-dawn raid on August 3, 1989.

The mission of the Neumann foundation is to assist bike patrol units in reducing crime in parks, town centers, schools and other recreational centers, and foster the development of a highly visible and approachable police force.

The second bike, a Fuji bike, was donated by Bruce Jayne, of Jayne Valley Farm on West Valley Brook Road in 2001.

The two latest bicycles are Cannondale front suspension Cruisers. One of the new bikes was graciously donated by Kathryn Lisankie of Long Valley. These bikes are made by Cannondale exclusively for use by Police Departments. The bikes are outfitted with Nightrider lights, (used to illuminate the area in front of the bike), Shimano brakes, cranks, and gear sets; Matrix X rims, and Continental AT tires. The patrol bikes are also equipped with a basic first aid kit, community policing materials, spare bicycle tire tube, basic bike repair tools and tire pump.

The are where the bicycle unit is most impressive is in the way officers can patrol areas that would be inaccessible to patrol vehicles. Parks, paths, abandoned rail beds, playing fields open fields, and wooded areas of town are now able to efficiently, quickly patrolled.

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