If you can’t imagine getting pulled over by a police officer on a mountain bike, know this – Boulder police now can patrol downtown city streets on two electronic bikes equipped with lights and sirens.
Officers patrolling on e-bikes recently arrested a person smoking fentanyl and were able to immediately seize the illegal drug, according to a Boulder Police Department’s post on X. Since receiving the two e-bikes in late March, officers also have used them to make traffic stops and offer medical help.
More than that – the new e-bikes are conversation-starters, said Richard Steidell, a Boulder police officer who rides one.
“The public absolutely loves it. I lose count on how many people stop to say hi to us and to check out the bike,” Steidell said.
Each electronic mountain bike costs about $8,000. It can take officers both on the road and on any hiking trail or other unpaved surface, Steidell said. The e-bike’s electric charge lasts at least 10 hours, which means an officer can use it for an entire shift. And in another sign of the times, officers also carry a supply of Narcan on the back of the bikes to deal with drug overdoses. It’s a substance that can reverse an opioid overdose. The bikes the capability to carry Automated External Defibrillators, too.
Maybe the best part? Officers can go up to 30 mph on the e-bikes, said Boulder police spokeswoman Dionne Waugh.
A Very Boulder Patrol
Honestly there’s no better way of saying it, but when you can keep the community safe AND do so on two wheels, it’s a great day at work.
That’s why we’re proud to show off our new Patrol e-bikes! If you haven’t seen them zipping around the city already,… pic.twitter.com/dHPQ4A9vNf— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) April 10, 2024
Steidell said an officer on an e-bike recently responded to a person suffering a heart attack.
“We were first on scene to a cardiac arrest on Pearl Street in which the officer was able to get on scene, direct emergency personnel and begin CPR. The person ended up surviving,” said Steidell.
In a medical call Friday, officers on e-bikes administered Narcan to a person on the south side of the Boulder municipal building, 1777 Broadway, who going through a drug overdose, effectively saving the person’s life, Waugh said.
“Bike patrol saw drug activity and witnessed the overdose when it happened,” Waugh said.
Not only does patrolling on an e-bike make it easier to avoid traffic on the road, but it also seems to get more people more engaged with
police, Steidell said.
“It’s a lot of fun to ride the bike at work,” Steidell said. “It boosts morale, plus you get to engage with everyone, and you’re a lot more approachable being on a bike instead of in a patrol car with the windows up.”
