Police services board purchases e-bikes

The Tillsonburg Police Services Board recently purchased three e-bikes for use by local OPP officers. Left to right are: Larry Scanlan, Oxford OPP Sergeant Steve Smith, Mayor Deb Gilvesy, and board members Councillor Chrissy Rosehart and Art Baumunk. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Local police officers have a new way of patrolling.

The Tillsonburg OPP Detachment Board purchased three e-bikes for officers. Board chairman Larry Scanlan said the board purchased three pedal bikes for officers to patrol several years ago.

“It’s probably time for an upgrade, and the e-bikes are being used in other communities,” he said.

The purchase of three bikes in Tillsonburg will be used in the southern half of Oxford County by OPP officers, and will complement three purchased by Ingersoll’s board for the north part of the county.

"The Tillsonburg OPP Detachment Board is pleased to support our local OPP detachment by recently donating three new e-bikes,” Scanlan said. “The addition of these e-bikes is to enhance community safety, boost proactive policing efforts, improve response times in high-density areas and foster stronger community connections.”

Scanlan said the bikes are much quicker than foot patrols, and offer other advantages.

“They also have much better visibility when they’re up on bikes,” he said. “They can duck into allies where a car can’t go, and trails, things like that.”

Officers on bikes can also see into cars to spot people on their phones.

For instance, Scanlan said shortly after the photo accompanying this article was taken, the officer received a call for an incident in Participark.

“His response time would be almost as good as a cruiser, but then he could go into Participark on the bike,” Scanlan said.

The bikes arrived in September, and then five officers were trained to use them.

The $12,000 cost of the three bikes was paid through proceeds from the police auction, which is an annual auction of items that weren’t claimed. Scanlan said the local board has made many purchases over the years with the auction funds, including the two storage sheds adjacent to the station.

Unfortunately, recent changes to the Police Services Act direct proceeds from the auction into general coffers. Scanlan said the board wrote a letter to the province, raising concerns about the changes.