CHINATOWN : Cycling Cops Keep Close Eye on Crime

When police officers roll on crime in Chinatown these days, odds are they will be on two fat tires.

Daily mountain bike patrols began a month ago, and police officials say they are already seeing results: Fewer gang members are gathering at Alpine Park and other hangouts.

They hope putting five officers in the saddle--three during the day and two at night--will build community trust while curbing robberies, gang activity and other crime.

Police officials say the rugged mountain bikes are perfect for patrolling busy areas: They allow close contact with the community while offering greater mobility than foot patrols.

“With the radio cars, the officers are mobile, but they are isolated in terms of contact. Foot beat officers have great rapport and direct contact, but aren’t as mobile. Bikes are an ideal medium between those two,” said Los Angeles Police Capt. Richard Bonneau, commanding officer of the Central Division.

Bicycle patrols have become increasingly popular nationwide, praised by police officials and community members alike. The Los Angeles Police Department deploys bike patrols at the beach and in other parts of the city, including Downtown.

Chinatown is ideal for bicycle patrols because it is congested with cars, gets heavy foot traffic and has many alleys and winding streets, Bonneau said. The cycling cops patrol the area bordered by Bernard, Alameda and Figueroa streets and Macy Street/Sunset Boulevard.

Bonneau decided to assign bike officers to Chinatown after repeated community requests for increased police patrols. Community members’ donation of two new mountain bikes, valued at $1,940, bolstered the patrols.

While keeping their eyes open for suspicious activity, the five bicycle officers--Terry Cammack, Leonard Davis, Stacey Age, Brennan Booth and Joe Taylor--are trying to get to know everyone in the community. The officers cycle into the residential neighborhoods as well as the business district and are even getting impromptu Chinese language lessons on the beat.

“We’re going from merchant to merchant and learning as we work, writing down one phrase a day, like ‘How are you today?’ ” Cammack said.

“It’s going to take a long time to develop (community) trust. Many people come from war-torn areas where Americans were the ones invading all the time. They may not be as open to trust us and tell us their problems.”