I love the idea of cops on bikes. Nothing beats the speed and stealth. But I haven’t really considered the benefits of paramedicson bikes. A couple of those saved a life in Chicago. The rescue might not have been possible if not for the paramedics’ bicycle team, which can weave in and out of crowded…
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Strange Queensday Attack in the Netherlands. In the BBC video, notice the first police officer on the scene rides a bicycle. Not a car. Not a man on foot. But a cop on a bike. If the goal is rapid response (at least for short and medium distances), we need more bikes.
This great historical tidbit is from the Edinburgh Review of July 1852. The original article, in pdf form, is here. The whole journal can be found on google books. I discovered this through Marjie Bloy’s excellent website on English history. She has a lot on Sir Robert Peel and early police (that’s how I found…
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Whenever people say there aren’t enough officers for foot patrol, I say, “hogwash” (or something with similar meaning). We used to have foot patrol. And we didn’t have more police. It’s a question of priorities, not resources. Here’s a interesting diagram from 1911. I don’t know if this was the theory, the practice, or a…
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As a cost saving move, more foot patrol in Boston. Reported in the Boston Globe.
Kind of like my idea, Policing Green. Officers turn to foot because of rising gas prices. Here’s the story from the New York Times. Thanks to Charlene, a former student of mine, for sending me the article.
I received this email last week. Finished the book a few weeks ago. I’ve got nine years on the job & it seems to track pretty well with my experience. Got some further thoughts (all good) but I’ll save that for another time. My reason for this little message was a piece I came across…
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Foot patrol may not be right for everyone. How do you know if foot patrol is right for you and your neighborhood? Ask your mailman. If your mail is delivered in a cart pushed by a walking mailman or woman, police should be on foot. If your mail is delivered by truck, foot patrol may…
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Cops want more money. Citizens want more foot patrol. We can have both. I call it “Policing Green.” Give cops the gas money for their shift if they agree to patrol without a car for that shift. The environmental link is mostly just a clever title to sell the idea, but it really would be…
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There’s a good discussion I’ve been contributing to in the comments section from a post in marginal revolution.