Our goal is to have at least a couple of Bike Patrols at or near each school
when the children get out of class. Our ideal is to have each Bike Patrol
equipped with a hand-held CB and in contact with the Base. This is a dream
for the future because we don't have the equipment at this time.
Many of our members ride bicycles in groups ... neighbors ... friends ... or
a family outing. They watch, listen, and chat with people they see along
the way.
They look for open doors, broken glass, graffiti, other vandalism, property
at risk, etc. They listen for barking dogs, angry voices, and screaming.
They usually respond to car alarms and may choose to respond to other audible
alarms depending on circumstances.
They have real conversations with people they meet and ask if there have
been any problems on that block. If the Patrol is aware of trouble in the
area, the information is provided to area residents. It really is important
for everyone to know what is going on so everyone can be on
the alert and watching.
Quite often, a single Bicycle Patrol will be joined by one, some, or many
other riders. Those riders are often neighborhood children. We don't
really feel comfortable about this practice because of safety and liability
concerns but public property is public property. Children can be a most
valuable source of information from time to time and some of them really
want to be a part of our program. (Well, we are considering the
possibilities - and if we go that route we will have ANOTHER page for a
Junior Patrol!)
© 1997 OOPS!
