Windsor police sell off motorbikes, switching gears to add more bicycles to fleet
Motorcycles quietly taken off the road by end of 2021
The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has sold off all six of its marked motorbikes and has moved toward adding more bicycles on the front lines instead.
The new strategy is based on a few factors, according to police, including financial implications and improving service to the community. The decision to ditch the motorcycles was made in the summer of last year and they were quietly taken off the road by the end of 2021.
"We believe that if we could utilize our officers in the best way, put them on a mode of transportation that will get them out to serve our community better, [those] are all the things we took into account and we felt this would be the best thing for our service," said Const. Bianca Jackson, WPS spokesperson.
Before being taken off the road, the motorcycles were primarily used by the traffic unit, regular patrol as well as for parades and escorts.
Regular bikes, compared to their motorized counterpart, also mean lower costs to train officers as well as purchasing and maintaining them, police said.
"We can train a lot more officers on bicycles in a short period of time as opposed to months of coursing for a motorcycle where we're limited to how many motorcycles we can have," said Jackson.
The six motorbikes have been sold for for $20,000 each and the money has been "reinvested for other asset purchases," including patrol vehicles.
Police buy a few dozen new bicycles
This year, 12 bicycles were added to the fleet and another 12 are expected to be added in 2023. Jackson said those bikes can be deployed in any area of the city, although they're primarily used in the downtown core.
Unlike motorcycles, police pedal bikes have gear to be used during rain, snow and cold conditions, the WPS added. A lack of space to put equipment on a motorcycle and the inability to detain someone on the bike are also two cons contributing to the decision as well.
"The officers that we have, their interest is not being piqued by the motorcycles anymore," said Jackson. "Our bike patrol, actually they are on the road a lot more than our motorcycles are."
Another positive aspect of bicycles is the ability for them to be relatively "unknown" in an area "and probably catch up to somebody before they even know they're there" compared to a noisy motorbike. Jackson said.
However, the police service does admit speed and acceleration capabilities differ significantly between the two types of bikes, especially during the pursuit of suspects and responding to an emergency.
In London, motorbikes a 'proud piece of police history'
In other regions, police still find value in motorcycles.
The London Police Service tells CBC News they're "a proud piece of police history" after purchasing three back in 1920. Now, they have five Harley-Davison Electa Glide bikes that are used primarily for traffic enforcement, special events and escorts.
Officers on motorbikes in London have used on trails to search for a missing person and in another instance where "armed person was believed to be in a park area," according to spokesperson Const. Sandasha Bough.
In another case, a motorcycle was used on a walkway of in a housing complex in "apprehending the individual by surprise" who previously fled from police.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service has two motorcycles in the traffic unit, however they're used for activities mostly unrelated to front-line policing.
Even though Windsor police sold its motorbikes, the service said it hasn't ruled out bringing them back in the future.
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