Bengaluru city police first in India to have bicycle-borne cops

Bengaluru city police inducted what the Commissioner (BCP) Bhaskar Rao, IPS, calls "mini Hoysalas". These bicycle-borne cops are expected to not only reduce the carbon footprint of the force but also help cops zip through traffics snarls.

In the wake of increasing criminal activities in Bengaluru's lung, Cubbon Park, and neighbouring areas, the city police have initiated 'Pedal Police.

This is the first time the BCP has saddled up to fight crime on a bicycle. The pedal police were launched by Bengaluru City Police Commissioner (BCP) Bhaskar Rao, IPS, on Sunday, December 15. Five bicycles were sponsored by a non-profit trust, Citizens for Sustainability (CiFoS), as a part of #ABetterBangalorean campaign.

Pedal Police come fully equipped

The pedal police branded bicycles equipped with police lights, alarms, reflective vests and helmets were distributed to police personnel of the Cubbon Park Police station by Commissioner Rao. The police will be patrolling the areas inside the park and Vidhan Soudha neighbourhoods on the bicycle to prevent illegal activities.

CiFOS said that pedal police are running on a trial basis now and with positive feedback, these will be scaled to other police stations in the near future with support from city police Commissioner. The NGO worked on this with its technical partner Urban Morph and creative partners Artand and Studio Ikigai.

Rao said that the idea behind pedal police is to cover all parts of the city as there are several areas where taking a four-wheeler or two-wheeler will be difficult and with this patrolling can be eco-friendly.

Bicycle for police patrolling

According to the reports, the earliest use of the police bicycles may have occurred in 1869, when a United States police officer from Illinois supplied himself and his deputies with bicycles made of iron and wood (boneshakers). In 1987, the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA) was formed in Washington's Seattle with an established bike patrol training curriculum.

Several cities around the globe use police cycling as an effective measure to ensure protection to the citizen. Countries including the US, UK, Canada and France use the bicycle for police patrolling.