MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Tires rumbled over dirt, rocks and twigs as Mountlake Terrace police officers Kyle O’Hagan and JJ Voeller pedaled through trails at Veterans Memorial Park.
The steep slopes of the ravine were tamed into level ground thanks to electric-assisted mountain bikes. If the officers were responding to an emergency, they’d have plenty of energy left.
The city recently bought the bikes from the Snohomish Bicycle Centres shop for $6,650 each. Money for the bikes came from Mountlake Terrace’s general fund, which covers most city services.
The new bikes effectively revived the police department’s bike unit after almost a decade of dormancy.
Other law enforcement agencies have electric cars , including the Mukilteo Police Department and Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office . Mountlake Terrace police officer Kyle O’Hagan demonstrates riding techniques with a new electric-assisted mountain bike Sunday in Mountlake Terrace. (Annie Barker / The Herald) Now, a pair of Mountlake Terrace police officers can ditch their sport utility vehicles for a little nimble pedal power in the form of Trek electric-assisted bicycles.
“It’s the modern way of walking your police beat,” said O’Hagan, who has worked in the department for over 6 years.
Police departments in Green Bay, Wis. , and Los Angeles bought electric pedal-assist bikes in 2017 and 2018, respectively.People can expect to see the police e-bikes at the July 3 gathering and fireworks show as well as the Tour de Terrace.The bicycle unit’s primary responsibility is community outreach, Cmdr. Mike Haynes wrote in an email.“Bikes are unique in the sense they […]
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