With police cycles being relatively new to the UK, there are no fixed standards and designs and equipment are continually being tried out. Here we see the same bike with a few alterations. It has had blue lights added to the front, a flashing red light at the back as well as more livery.
Attending a emergency cyclists training course are ambulance and police personnel from around the UK, including Tees, East and North Yorks Ambulance, London Ambulance, North Yorks Police, South Wales Police, Northumbria Police and Kansas Police Department (USA). The attendees are (from left to right) Gerard Morgan, Monte May (instructor), Kevin Rogerson, Ian McCloud, Ben Whiteway, Russ Harper, Steve Harvey, Sean Clarke, Claire Tinker and Mark Inman.
The police and ambulance cyclists listen in to the instructor’s instructions, while trying to keep warm on an icy winter’s afternoon.
As part of the training, the cyclists take it in turn to make emergency stops when Kansas police officer Monte May instructs them.
Getting more weight over the rear wheel can reduce the chance of skidding when braking, as demonstrated by this police officer.
All the way from Kansas in the United States to North Yorkshire is this minimally marked police mountain bike.
Over the days the course moves to different locations. Here the team is in a cordoned off multi-storey car park for maneuvering exercises.
An artistic look at a line of emergency cyclists practicing weaving between obstacles at speed.
A final look at the team receiving instructions on how to navigate the forest of police cones used.
York police’s community cycle unit expanded on 6 October 2003. Here are the officers at a training day, (from left to right) Sergeant Nigel Tottie, PC Helen Williams, PC Colin Sutherland, PC Ben Whiteway, PC Russ Harper, PC Steve James, Acting Sergeant Jo Smith, PC John Hebblethwaite and PC Steve Harvey.
Each officer is equipped with their own personal bike and cycle-specific police uniform. The bikes are all fitted with blue lights, white lights and a siren alongside a rack-top bag for equipment.
PC Helen Williams descends some steep concrete steps as part of the cycle control training.
The cycling police officers are trained to cycle down stairs so they can continue to follow suspects or attend an emergency scene sooner. This photograph shows PC Steve Harvey racing down steps as if it was a smooth slope.
The police officers of York’s Community Cycle Unit are joined by the 4 ambulance service emergency cyclists that they will work alongside in York and the surrounding areas.
Two of the cycle unit officers use their white lights, blue flashing lights and sirens to warm the public of their presence as they simulate an emergency response.
Watch a video of this vehicle in action!
North Yorkshire Police Sergeant Nigel Tottie is concentrating on carrying out slow-speed tight turns around road cones. This is part of a demonstration of advanced cycling skills around an obstacle course as part of a national emergency service cyclist’s seminar.
Another police officer mounts a see-saw at speed at another part of the course.
TENYAS paramedic Paul Brown carefully negotiates a pile of wooden pallets.
Many of the emergency cyclists that attended this seminar brought their bikes along to compare and contrast models and equipment. This example is used by West Midlands Police. It has a high-visibility cover for the bag, a white and a blue light and siren.
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.