DANA POINT : Sheriff’s Deputies to Begin Bike Patrols
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The Sheriff’s Department will begin bicycle patrols in this harbor city next week.
Lt. Dan Martini, a department spokesman, compared the new bike patrol unit to a modern version of the cop on horseback.
“It does offer that idea of a more personalized service,” Martini said. “It gets the officer away from being behind a car door. We are encouraging the officers to make contact with people in the community.”
Most important, the bikes offer a police officer mobility in some of the more crowded and inaccessible areas of the city, such as the residential Lantern District, the Doheny Village area, downtown and Capistrano Beach, Martini said.
“We looked into the horseback idea, and looked at mopeds, three-wheel ATCs (all-terrain cycles), but as far as practicality goes, the bikes top the list,” Martini said.
The Dana Point City Council this week allocated $2,195 to purchase two Raleigh “Chill” mountain bikes, which retail for about $700 each, and riding equipment such as shorts, shoes, gloves and helmets.
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