Gresham will put more cops on bikes this summer

On a bike-along in SE Precinct

A Portland bike patrol unit
at work on SE Hawthorne in 2006.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Gresham Police Department has just announced that they will bolster police bike patrols during the summer months.

Gresham PD spokesman Sgt. Claudio Grandjean says the move was made possible by utilizing School Resource Officers who are available to supplement regular patrol units during the summer months while kids are on break.

Four officers will begin the bike patrols on June 23rd and will continue until school starts in September. According to Grandjean their patrols will focus on the Springwater Corridor, parks, schools or any other areas identified by the patrol division as areas suitable for patrolling by bike.

Here in Portland, we could also use more bike patrol officers. Back in January of 2007, Officer Robert Pickett of the SE Portland Bicycle Patrol Unit wrote a guest article asking community members to write the Police Chief in support of adding more officers to the bike patrol program.

Gresham is a neighboring city to the east of Portland.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

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tonyt
tonyt
16 years ago

Another benefit of the impending $5/gallon gas. Getting those cops out of their cars. A win win.

toddistic
toddistic
16 years ago

I wonder if they get to carry tazers too?

Moo
Moo
16 years ago

…or wear cowboy bike helmets.

ralph
ralph
16 years ago

Remember the golden rule folks.

As cyclists we don\’t like it when we are all painted with the same brush because of a few visible people on bikes doing stupid things.

Let\’s not become what we dislike by painting all police officers with one brush.

Andy
Andy
16 years ago

I think the City of Gresham should be commended for responding to changing needs – first by putting more officers on MAX, now this.

And seconding what Ralph said. I would rather believe that bike officers are not going to be inclined to try to tackle us off our own bikes. Let\’s not use the same ugly prejudices we hate ourselves.

bigB
bigB
16 years ago

Put the cops on \”fixies\”, then lots of people could really bash them.

Todd Waddell
Todd Waddell
16 years ago

I just sent this to a buddy of mine who is an school resource officer in Maryland.

He sometimes comments on the monotony of SRO work. I\’m guessing that many SROs would welcome the change of pace.

And since I would guess that most bike patrol hours are in the daytime, this move would seemingly help SROs keep relatively normal work and family schedules.

-Todd

Recnerd
Recnerd
16 years ago

The artilce says that Gresham is 17 miles east of Gresham. May I remind you that Portland and Gresham share a common boarder.

Jenni Simonis
16 years ago

Recnerd :

I was thinking the exact same thing – we\’re right next door, not 17 miles away. Maybe 17 miles from downtown?

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
16 years ago

re: gresham and portland.

you guys are right. that didn\’t come out right. I\’ve changed the article. (and by the way, the 17 mile figure is from downtown to downtown).

thanks.

ralph
ralph
16 years ago

Historically thet measurement of distance between cities/towns was measured from post office to post office.