Guest post: Why cops ride on sidewalks
[Officers Robert Pickett (L) and Rob Quick (R) on patrol on SE Hawthorne, October 17, 2006.]
Police
KATU-TV covers neighborhood safety issue
[Click here for full story.Click here for the director’s cut interview.] Last night on the 11 o’clock news, KATU-TV (Portland’s ABC affiliate) ran a story titled, “Have cyclists become a target?” The KATU story aired as a direct result of the many comments received in response to the post about a pair of cyclists who … Read more
Bike patrol officer asks for our support
[Bike patrol officers stopped by a Mocktails event in September 2006.] Do you think Portland would be a better place if we had more cops patrolling our neighborhoods on bikes rather than in cars and on motorcycles? I do. I strongly believe that more bike patrols would be a great way to deal with our … Read more
Attack on cyclists not an aberration
The recent incident involving a group of teens that attacked two cyclists in North Portland has sparked dialogue about the safety, race, and vulnerability of cyclists. In the over 70 comments listed so far, I was amazed at how many other people reported being attacked while on their bikes, and how the majority of them … Read more
No sympathy for cyclist struck on Swan Island
This disturbing account of a car-bike collision on Swan Island was reported by the victim yesterday in the Portland Bike Forums: [Location of the crash.]Click for Google Map. “On January 2nd, I was riding home from work at 5:15p.m. and was was struck by a Jeep Wrangler pulling out from a stop sign. The driver … Read more
Tonkin gets World’s nod, and first fan site
[Tonkin at Hillsboro Stadium] Local cyclocross racer and co-owner of Sellwood Cyclery Erik Tonkin, will join a team to represent the U.S. at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, on January 28 in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium.
Changes atop the Traffic Division
[Commander Marty Rowley] After just nine months on the job, Marty Rowley, Commander of the Traffic Division of the Portland Police Bureau will retire on January 17th. In the interim, Lieutenant Mark Kruger will take his place until a new Commander is named. According to sources, Chief Sizer will keep Kruger in that position, “for … Read more
Fixie ticket deja-vu in Germany
A reader recently sent me a a German news story about police and fixed-gear bicycles. Judging by the photos accompanying the story (below), he suspected (hoped) it was about how some German cops were riding fixed-gear bicycles on their bike patrols. This would be in direct contrast to Portland cops who issue citations to cyclists … Read more
Updated: Standing next to your bike is not a crime
Local lawyer Mark Ginsberg just shared an interesting decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals today on a case involving a ticket given to a cyclist during a Portland Critical Mass ride back in September 2004. Joseph Rowe (who represented himself) was standing on the sidewalk next to his bicycle as the monthly Critical Mass … Read more
Rolling with the Southeast Bike Patrol
[Officers Quick (L) and Pickett (R) on Hawthorne Blvd.] Back in October I joined Officers Rob Quick and Robert Pickett of the Portland Police Bureau for a bike-along. Pickett and Quick are on the Southeast Portland Bike Patrol whose enforcement boundaries cover everything from SE Hawthorne Blvd. to I-84, and I-205 down to the Esplanade. … Read more
A call for patience and a new paradigm
By Elly Blue As we debate stop signs, police enforcement, targeting of bicyclists (or not), and the definition of a brake, let’s clearly draw one distinction. On the one hand, there is the idea, often brought out at times like this, that some (or most) bicyclists think they are above the law. On the other … Read more
Mayor supports sting, cites safety concerns
A local cyclist, concerned with what she feels is too much “negative police attention on cyclists,” emailed the Mayor’s office after this morning’s enforcement action and has heard a detailed response from one of his staffers: Here is the response as relayed by the Mayor’s “public advocate,” Jeremy Van Keuren: