WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — On Thursday morning, city officials showed off their latest tools to fight crime in Wilkes-Barre.
Six new electric bicycles were unveiled as a boost to the community policing program for the Wilkes-Barre police.
City leaders say the bikes will allow officers to patrol on foot and on two wheels, helping them connect with the community while allowing them to reach areas too small for cars.
"Being able to be with the people, approachable, and not have that steel cage of a car as a barrier, it speaks volumes," said Sgt James Sheridan, Wilkes-Barre community policing.
"I tried to go for a couple horses, and the chief said no. So I said, 'How about motorcycles?' He said, 'I don't think so,'" said Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown.
These e-bikes are equipped with heavy-duty tires, red and blue flashing lights, and sirens.
Police Chief Joseph Coffay says the bikes have been in the works since 2019, prolonged by the pandemic.
The bikes were purchased with the help of Diamond City Partnership, a nonprofit management organization.
"Doesn't always come down to the crime statistics. It has to do with perceptions. It has to do with feelings, of whether there are other people on the street, eyes on the street," said Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership.
The bikes will bolster the officers who already have boots on the ground as they patrol the city.
"It's an accessibility thing," Sgt. Sheridan said. "We're able to get to places easier, and people are able to access us easier."
The bike patrols are part of the department's efforts to increase those relations with the community.
"It's a partnership with the people, with the neighbors, the people who work here, live here, eat here, see a show here," Sheridan added. "We want them to know that we're here for them, and we want them to know that they're here for us."
The bikes will be on the streets in a few months. Wilkes-Barre plans to hire patrol officers and then train them to use the bikes.
The Luzerne Foundation also provided funding for the new bicycles.