Hertfordshire Police Increase Pedal Power

By Amy Woodfield, 14th August 2012, 15:11

Hertfordshire Police have more then doubled the number of bikes they have available to be used by officers on the beat.

As part of Operation Cyclone there are now 320 bicycles available.

Other forces in the UK claim to have found them useful as they cover more ground and allow for a silent approach to apprehend suspects.

It's also been claimed that it makes them seem more approachable.

The force used the bikes a lot during the Olympic Games at Lee Valley and were found to be an excellence way to get around.

Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant Paula Reynolds says:

“The officers were highly visible in the Lee Valley Park, at the train stations and on the road leading to the venue. They were able to move quickly and effortlessly to deal with incidents, where vehicles couldn’t gain access and were able to get to places more quickly than officers on foot.

“Officers were even on hand to assist a couple of cyclists who were having problems with their bikes. The officers came to their rescue, using their on-board bike toolkits to help fix the bikes.

“It really demonstrated for us all the benefits of using bicycles and certainly the public reaction to seeing officers on bikes was overwhelmingly positive.”