Officers
There are often as many as four officers patrolling the streets of Sturgis on the mountain bikes, primarily during the busy Motorcycle Rally. Officers assigned to Bike Patrol perform the same duties as officers assigned to Motor Patrol.

Officers on bikes:

• Work patrol beats
• Answer assigned calls
• Work and address specific problems that may arise within the community
• Make arrests for offenses ranging from Driving While Under the Influence to Domestic Abuse
• Address traffic concerns
• Work special events

Success
Creating and maintaining a successful police bike patrol takes more than just officers and bikes. A police bike program involves not only providing officers with the proper bike and training for varying conditions of activity, traffic, and weather, but also bike racks on vehicles, special lighting equipment for night patrol, repairs and routine maintenance on the bike fleet, special equipment and uniforms for the officers to bike in all seasonal / weather conditions, and more.

The costs to start and maintain a strong bike program are substantial; however, the investment returns great dividends. It is our belief that by incorporating mobility, visibility, interaction, and proactive law enforcement techniques, a bicycle patrol officer can positively affect the everyday workings of a police department and its impact on the community.

Advantages
The advantages of officers on bikes are:

• Bike officers can travel faster and farther than foot officers and they are able to patrol areas unreachable by car.
• Because they are soundless, officers on bikes can ride right up to the scene of a crime before they are noticed.
• Bicycles are a great public relations tool - an officer on a bike is much more approachable than one in a patrol car.
• Bike officers also have the ability to better enforce bicycle laws, monitor road conditions for bicyclists, promote bike safety, encourage crime prevention practices, and promote fitness