Bike patrols offer Sudbury police a unique view of the city
This week, police officers in Sudbury and one from Sault Ste. Marie completed bicycle patrol training and fine-tuned their skills.
The bike patrol beat allows for opportunities for community engagement on the streets and gives police access to many places police vehicles can't.
"It's a great opportunity for us to get into certain areas of the city especially in our downtown core where we might not necessarily get a cruiser that will be able to access these areas for social disorder crimes that are happening in our downtown core," said Sgt. Matt Hall, of the Greater Sudbury Police Service.
Const. Kristin Zazelenchuk, the instructor for the course, took specialized training in St. Louis, Mo., put on by the International Police Mountain Bike Association.
"You get to see a lot more," Zazelenchuk said.
"We operate a lot downtown. Sudbury has got a lot of little trails leading to different areas of the city, so we are able to take those trails to get to locations a lot faster."
Const. Troy Miller is with the Sault Ste. Marie Service and has been on the bike patrol for 15 years. He came to Sudbury for the training.
"We get to connect on kind of a different level and a little more personal level when you are on the bike as opposed to driving by in a car," Miller said.
"So that is really great, to be able to stop and talk to people."
The bike patrol program runs from April to October. This fall, the service said it plans to add fat bikes and run year round.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.