MISSION COLLEGE : Campus Bike Patrol Paying Off

New bicycle patrols at Mission College have enabled campus police to catch the bad guys, as well as catch up on their exercise.

Started this semester with three officers riding mountain bikes, the new program is already paying off from a law enforcement standpoint.

The bikes are proving effective in getting across the Sylmar campus quickly and quietly, campus police said. In the time it takes to start a noisy patrol car and get out of the parking lot, an officer doing 18 m.p.h. on a bike can be on top of a crime nearly anywhere on the small campus.

“Several times they’ve been able to come up on people before they knew what was going on. People sitting over in the lots drinking or people who looked like they were about to vandalize,” said police Capt. Bill Stevens, who heads campus security at Mission.

Officer Ruben Corral organized bicycle patrols at Mission after seeing them work at East Los Angeles and Los Angeles City colleges. He said that the patrols also have been helpful in clearing the streets of traffic violators.

“We even pull vehicles over on bicycles,” he said. “I’ve done it several times. They run stop signs and pull U-turns right in front of us.”

Corral said most violators are surprised when he appears in their rear-view mirror with his bicycle’s red light flashing. “They have no idea where we came from or how we got there.”

Although the bikes give campus police added stealth, the patrols have also created a visible, personable police presence in the community. Instead of the traditional uniform, officers wear shorts and polo shirts with the word Police boldly written on the back. They also cruise El Cariso Park and other areas surrounding the college.

And community reaction has been positive, Stevens said.

Students expect the patrols to affect campus security, as well. Freshman Eddie Campos, 18, believes the quick response time and high visibility will have the greatest effect. “Students will feel more confident,” he said.

Stevens hopes this confidence can be inspired in students on other campuses. “Once we’re established and have some statistics, we’ll share them with other campuses in our district who might be interested and help set up a program,” Stevens said.

In the meantime, some officers have been able to measure the results of the bicycle patrols on a more personal level.

“I’ve lost eight pounds since I’ve been riding,” said Corral, who bikes as much as 25 miles a day.