This white cycle is used by the City of London Police. The inset shows a close up view of the emergency warning equipment. Two white lights can be used at night, or the blue covers lowered to show blue light for emergency responses. The siren is mounted below these lights.
This Gazelle police bike is one of many used in Selby and York for community police officers. Small yellow panniers on both sides are marked ‘police’. It has no blue lights or siren.
This police cycle is not strictly an UK emergency vehicle, but was in the UK! It is one of the cycles used by San Antonio Police Department in Texas, USA. It has blue and red flashing lights, a bell and a siren. Interestingly, American cycles have the brakes the opposite way around to UK cycles.
The rider of the above cycle is Officer TJ Richardson. He can be seen here talking about emergency response cycling at the cycling seminar. Two Northumbria Police officers listen intently.
Officer TJ Richardson is also the president of IPMBA, the International Police Mountain Biking Association. He travels the globe giving lectures and practical exercises in using cycles for police work, drawing on the experiences of police officers worldwide. Here he is discussing such matters with North Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable Della Cannings.
The very first emergency cyclist’s seminar in the UK was very well attended. This is almost all of the participants posing amongst their cycles. Paramedics Tom Lynch (LAS), Mark Inman and Paul Brown (TENYAS) attended, along with Glen Towers (WYMAS). Officer TJ Richardson (SAPD, Texas), Nigel Tottie and Steve Harvey (North Yorks.) are in the foreground. Also present are police officers from Northumbria police, West Midlands Police and other constabularies. Two members of HM Coastguard can also be seen in the centre of the back row. They have been trialing the use of cycles to access remote costal areas by path.
A cycling police constable compares his bike to a traffic constable’s Honda ST1100 bike.
An Australian police officer joined York’s cycling police officers on 10 and 11 June 2003. He was touring the cycle police officers of the world, discussing best practice and sharing ideas. From left to right is Sgt. Nigel Tottie, Senior Constable Mick Shaw and PC Steve Harvey.
This demonstration police cycle is a Santa Cruz model. It is equipped with front suspension and even carries battenburg markings on the frame.
Police and ambulance cyclists pose for a photograph during an emergency service cyclists training course in November 2004.
An odd sight: a police officer in a ‘red man’ protective suit on a police cycle. This formed part of a demonstration of cycle patrol techniques at the Emergency Services Cycle Seminar at York’s Knavesmire in June 2004.
Here we see Inspector Nigel Tottie (in the red man outfit) having a staged fight with Mark Cockram from the City of London Police. Mark explains that when using his police bike in this way to defend himself from a knife-wielding suspect the brakes should be off so that the suspect cannot get a good grip of the bike. A discarded asp (retractable police baton) lies discarded.
This is a KiT (Kreative innovative Technology) City Patrol Vehicle (CPV) sample police cycle.
This is a KIT Santa Cruz sample blue police cycle.
This is a KiT Town Patrol Vehicle sample. This ‘budget’ cycle is built in Lancashire by Concept Cycles.
This is Community Support Officer (CSO) Shane Jenkins with his police cycle. He was the first CSO in the country to be permanently assigned to a cycle unit.
This is a Pashley KiT police cycle with ‘police’ wording and blue and yellow checker markings on the frame. It also carries the Crimestoppers telephone number (inset shows close up), but unfortunately the numbers have been transposed. It should read 0800 555 111. Even the professionals get it wrong sometimes!
Another City Patrol Cycle from KiT. This example features an octagonal alloy frame and a high-mounted pannier mount.
This is a Smith & Wesson police cycle demonstrator.
A close up look at the emergency warning equipment on the front of the Smith & Wesson ‘Urban Pursuit Vehicle’. The siren and blue and white lights bare an uncanny resemblance to 1980s film ‘Short Circuit’ star Johnny Five (see inset).
An Avon and Somerset police officer directs traffic as his cycle is parked on the pavement.
This is a very rare police cycle from the Royal Parks Constabulary (London). It is a hybrid pedal / electric cycle called an Eco-Bike Enforcer. It is fitted with blue lights, a siren and decked out in black and white checker markings. Ideal for upholding the law in Hyde Park, this cycle has the unusual features of an ignition and battery gauge. It has a 200 watt motor, goes 15 mph unaided and has 21 gears.
This is a white police Cannondale cycle.
A Northumbria police cycle patrol officer directs traffic. Notice the very minimal livery of his cycle, just a few centimeters of battenburg markings on the horizontal frame. This is so it does not become a target for vandals when locked up in a public place.
This police demonstrator cycle is fitted with a small blue siren and a large white light made up of many LEDs.
Another example of a UK police officer and cycle.
This is a black police demonstration cycle with high-visibility pannier-bag cover.
Here is a line up of some of the attendees at the 2004 emergency services cycle seminar on 26-27 June 2004 in York. In the background is a North Yorkshire police support Ford Tansit.
Police Constable John Westlake and Police CSO Shane Jenkins on their work cycles.
This is the Harrogate District Community Policing Team, formed in summer 2004. They all have battenburg marked silver mountain bikes and are follow the success of another North Yorkshire Police cycle unit in York. From left to right are: PC Colin Rutherford, PS Mark Gee, PC Gordon Graham, PC Richard Greenwood, PC Dave McKenzie-Brown, PC Paul Stephenson, PC Jane Allan, PC Andy Hanson.