MOUNTAIN VIEW, Colo. (KDVR) — Nestled simply to the northwest of Denver sits the small city of Mountain View.
Historically, the police division has been recognized for one factor: giving out tickets, and lots of them. It’s a notion Police Chief Steve Davis has been working to alter.
“I’ve spent the last three years trying to change the perception of this town, and this is a big tool to change that perception,” Davis stated. Saturday, the division unveiled two new electrical bikes, custom-built by Denver firm FattE-Bikes.
The bikes come outfitted with flashing lights and even a siren, though Davis stated you’ll not often see them in your rearview mirror.
“We’re not going to be running emergent down Sheridan pulling cars over with the e-bikes,” Davis joked. “Mostly you use that just for the effect of visibility. Most of the calls we get in this area don’t require an actual patrol vehicle, so we can respond on a bicycle to handle those calls.”
Kenny Fischer with FattE-Bikes stated Mountain View is the third police division in metro Denver to buy their bikes. The firm, which assembles the bikes in Denver, is understood for letting clients customise their rides.
“What’s cool about these guys is that our bikes aren’t being utilized to chase somebody down,” Fischer stated. “It’s more about serving the community. So if there are people who need help who tend to scatter when a patrol car comes around, it tends to humanize the officers riding the bikes.”
Davis stated the bikes will basically change a squad automotive, saving taxpayers cash on gas and maintenance. But he stated it’s the group affect he’s trying ahead to probably the most.
“To have an electric bicycle that you can take out and literally touch the community one on one is not a revenue-generating machine, it’s a community policing machine,” he stated.