LUZERNE BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Luzerne County police department is showing off its new wheels, and no, they're not new cruisers. The Luzerne Borough Police Department has added some bikes to its fleet.
Police officers in Luzerne Borough are swapping cruisers for a bicycle.
It's part of a new community policing effort that lets them get closer to the public, and into places regular patrol cars can't reach.
"I just had an opportunity to have an interaction from someone else who wanted to report something taking place, but they wanted to remain anonymous. But she took the opportunity to talk to me while I was on a bicycle," Luzerne Borough Police Department Sergeant Daniel Duffy said.
That kind of connection is exactly what the department hoped for.
Officers say the bike patrol helps them build trust within the community and lets them engage with people who might not otherwise speak up.
The program was made possible with help from the neighboring Courtdale department and didn't cost taxpayers a cent.
Officials say Wilkes-Barre road now allows two-way traffic
"People are more at ease going up and talking to an officer on a bike. You know there's much more interaction that an officer can have," Luzerne Borough Council vice chairman Jason Tarreto stated.
From busy intersections to wooded trails, officers say the bikes let them go places they couldn't before and meet people they wouldn't normally meet.
The bike itself was already in storage, but now it's been upgraded with lights and decals with funding coming entirely through community donations and events like the department's annual golf tournament.
"I'm still able to see things, hear things, smell things that the average person in a police car with their windows up and the air conditioner on is probably not going to," Sergeant Duffy added.
The department says they're just getting started.
Right now, there's only one patrol bike, but there are plans to expand in the near future.
"It is without question one of the greatest ways to patrol. I could pretty much do everything that a police car can do," Sergeant Duffy continued.
Officers say between the new patrol bike and their now operational station, they're more connected and better equipped to serve Luzerne Borough.
The officers say the new station house is a good morale boost for the department.
