Community policing in Treasure Island, officers testing out e-bikes

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - Vacationers are packing the beaches in the Tampa Bay Area for spring break, and one police department says it’s the perfect time to evaluate electric bikes to see if they should add them to their fleet.

Officer Tracy Funck is testing out an e-bike for the Treasure Island Police Department over the next month. Officers can pull someone over on the bikes.

The department has two mountain bikes right now. Treasure Island Police Chief John Barkley said they’ve been great for helping officers connect with the public.

"This is community policing at its finest right now," Chief Barkley explained. "This is the basis of community policing. Officers are more easily approachable. People are not used to seeing police officers on a bicycle depending on what part of the world or what part of the country they're from. So, that's already going to initiate a conversation," he said.

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"What we're doing is evaluating the e-bikes to see if it makes our officers more efficient and effective. Pedaling a bike, obviously, after a long, you know, 10, 12-hour shift can get really, really tiring. So, if we can get an e-bike with at least some pedal assist and give them a little bit of a break," Chief Barkley said.

The e-bikes can go up to 30 miles per hour. Chief Barkley said he’s not sure how many e-bikes they may purchase if all goes well. They cost $2,000 to $5,000 each.

The police chief said they hope to make a decision on whether or not to purchase the bikes by April.

Officers who ride the bikes have to go through a 40-hour training. Chief Barkley said several officers have shown interest. 

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