Posted on 11/19/2009 5:05:08 PM PST by SandRat
Iraqi Police work to assemble their bicycles during training at the Kirkuk Police Academy, Nov. 15. This group will be the first to graduate and become bicycle police officers in Kirkuk City. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor, 1st Cavalry Division.
KIRKUK — Iraqi Police (IP) officers recently attended the Bicycle Police Course at the Police Academy here, part of an ongoing effort to establish better policing practices in the city.
Many of the police officers had never seen or heard of a bicycle cop before, but soon they themselves will be the first group to begin operating as Bicycle Police in Kirkuk City.
"I have never seen any riding around Kirkuk," explained one of the trainees, Adrees Ali Arnoos, an IP from the Qoria Police Station here. "I am very excited to be part of the first group. This is something that could really help the people.”
Bike patrols give the IP an opportunity to be more mobile than a foot officer, and also starts conversations with the locals, because they see something new, said James Olsen, an international police advisor, who served six years as a bicycle cop before coming to Iraq.
According to Olsen, the IP can use these bicycles as a tool to help them get more involved in the community. The idea behind community policing is that an officer gets to know his community in depth by working closely with, and talking frequently to, its residents.
The IP receiving these bicycles will have a total of five days of training, where they will learn how to put the bikes together, maintain them, ride them, and operate while on them.
The idea is to train the IP in what they need to know to be an effective bicycle police officer, explained Olsen.
Once the training is complete, the IP will return to their stations as fully- trained bicycle cops.
"This is really going to help us in traffic," said Arnoos. "It is much easier to get around in markets than with a car."
"The intent is for these guys to be able to go out and patrol market places where vehicles cannot," Olsen explained.
These IP can do all kinds of police work from their bicycles, said Olsen.
"A bicycle cop can and does any kind of police work that involves you being right there on the scene," said Olsen.
This can include arresting shoplifters, breaking up domestic disturbances, apprehending criminals, and much more, depending on the area the cop is working in, said Olsen.
Olsen is planning on conducting Advanced Bicycle Police Training with the IP who graduate this course after they have had time to go out on the street and practice basic bicycle policing skills.
Oddly, when I read ‘bike officers’ I imagined the motorcycle madmen from The Road Warrior.
“Pull over! RAAAAAAAGHR!”
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