Lakewood Lore

Bicycle Patrols - Police Dept. Bicycle patrols have 'wheelie' long history in our city

What goes around comes around.

Bicycle wheels for patrolling, a concept currently being introduced by our police department, originally was employed here at the turn of the century, when Lakewood was only a fledgling community.

Pictorial evidence of this role of responsibility for early two-wheelers is shown in the accompanying photograph from the archives of Lakewood Public Library. It was taken in 1916.

At the end of 1918, the police department's annual report recorded: "During the past year, seven new bicycles were added to replace the old ones."

However, by 1925. the force had pretty much moved up to motorcycles--a foursome of which, like the original Bicycle Brigade, was photographed with uniformed riders in a similarly nostalgic picture.

The successor motorcycles were American-made "Indian" models, considered to be one of the best of that period.

The history of Lakewood's present-day adoption of law-enforcement bicycles is a chronicle that begins at a town meeting here in the fall of 1992.

Subject of the meeting was how to make Lakewood more "bicycle friendly."

During the give and take, a Lakewoodite, William K. Cochran, who owned a bicycle shop, told about the Seattle Police Department's recent successes in using bikes.

He expressed his belief that our city, because of its compactness, would be an ideal place for the same type of program.

To Lakewood Councilwoman Pamela Smith, who was at the meeting, it seemed like a clever idea. Later, she put a letter on the council docket that asked the police department to look into the possibility of utilizing bicycles.

"I don't think Police Chief Matt Biscotti took me seriously, at first," Smith recalled. "But then he soon heard about bicycles from other police chiefs, and he decided to survey members of his own force.

"A number of them thought such a program would work here. Also, it was learned that monies to pay for the bicycles could be obtained from the sale of the police department's confiscated goods. Thus, there would be no added cost to the taxpayers."

Right now, only two regular Lakewood policemen have been assigned to bicycles; however, four auxiliary police also will be trained to use them, Smith said.

Patrolmen Michael Fritsch and Timothy Dow volunteered and are the first to be designated riders.

Fritsch who was featured in last week's Lakewood Sun Post on his experiences, is a longtime bicycle aficionado. He has 10 of his own and uses them to pedal to and from work from his West Park home.

Smith pointed out that all of our bicycle policemen would have to attend a 40-hour training seminar given in Dayton by that city's police department, which has had a love affair with bikes since 1989.

"It (the Dayton department) has been so satisfied with them (bikes) that it now runs its school for others, as well as its own," she said.

Meanwhile, generator Cochran who now operates two Bayside Cycle shops--one in Lakewood and another is Westlake-- said that, to date, he has supplied our force with four Raleigh heavy-duty police bicycles, featuring state-of-the-art gearing, special tires and lights.

Cost to the city: $600 apiece.

Although this is just a start and the Lakewood project is only on a trial basis, Cochran foresees a burgeoning application.

"Lakewood is the perfect community for it," he emphasized. "In responding to disturbances along railroad tracks, in alleys and behind buildings, bikes will be quicker and more maneuverable.

"Last I heard, Seattle has about 60 riders and, I understand, their positions are the most sought-after in the department," he added.

Lakewood's original Bicycle Brigade, vintage 1916, was photographed against a backdrop of Wilson School, where today's main post office is situated. From left are H.J. Swickard, Henry Calvert, Peter Christensen, Clayton W. Tyler (mayor of Lakewood), Herman Lang, Henry C. O'Dell (police chief), Howard Amstus and Andrew Kennelley.

This article appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post April 14, 1994. Reprinted with permission.

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