Police can cover more on bikes

NEW police bicycle patrols are already proving a hit with the Gold Coast community.

Local police have strapped on their helmets and hopped on bikes in an effort to curb crime, respond to incidents faster and be seen actively patrolling in the Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise areas.

Targeting the entertainment precincts of the Gold Coast, Senior Constable Jesse Wilks said he had been surprised by the swift, positive response of locals and tourists.

“The amount of people (commenting) is quite surprising, people want to chat to us on bikes,” he said.

“I’ve been doing the beat patrol for five years. The amount of area we can cover is just so much greater.”

He said being mobile on a bike also allowed them to get to a car accident faster than a car would, while they could also head back to crime hotspots multiple times a day.

The Entertainment Precinct Group Bicycle Patrols, which see pairs of officers cycling around the busy streets at all hours of the day, have 17 officers on board who have been specially trained.

Senior Sergeant Jim Munckton said the bike patrols had been identified as a novel way to curb crime, especially in areas generally inaccessible by cars such as alleyways, bikeways, parks and reserves.

Bicycle officers could be riding for up to 40km each day.