:: cyclists inciting change thru live exchange

Public Safety Wheels Out Eco Friendly Bicycle Patrol

Published August 29th, 2005 by Columbia University News

By: Kristin Sterling


Columbia 's Public Safety department has a new, environmentally friendly way to patrol the Morningside campus and respond to emergencies -- bicycle. Campus is currently patrolled 24 hours a day by Public Safety officers on foot and in cars. The bicycle patrol will supplement existing beats.


"The use of bikes helps to reduce our reliance on automobiles by providing an environmentally friendly alternative," says James McShane, assistant vice president for public safety. "Plus it's a great opportunity for us to provide an omni-presence in the area and a more rapid response in emergency situations."


A total of six Public Safety sergeants have been trained and certified by the International Police Mountain Bike Association. They will be patrolling the campus and its perimeter on Trek Police Mountain Bikes.


Adds McShane, the use of bicycles has one major side-benefit: that of helping "to foster a higher level of fitness among our supervisors."


Detailed information on crime prevention and fire safety, is available on the Department of Public Safety's Web site, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety/index.html.

Fair Use Notice:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.