COLUMBUS – Columbus police officers have begun bike patrols on the streets of three neighborhoods as the Division of Police’s 2019 Safe Streets Program gets underway.
The uniformed bicycle officers will promote safe neighborhoods through crime prevention and deterrence efforts, improved community-police relations, and addressing violent crime in the Linden, Hilltop, and South side neighborhoods, division spokeswoman Sgt. Chantay Boxill said.
The program has been extended by two months and will continue through Oct. 5, Mayor Andrew Ginther said
The 30 officers, six sergeants, and one lieutenant will be in uniform and riding either bikes or marked cruisers and will work in partnership with the City Attorney’s Office and other city agencies, including the code enforcement and Neighborhoods Project offices and the and Refuse Collection Division.
The officers received training on March 30 covering topics such as community engagement and outreach strategies, human trafficking identification, rapid emergency addiction responses; and officer wellness and stress management, Boxill said.