Crime & Safety
Two New Police Bicycle Patrols are on the Move in Downtown Silver Spring
Local officials, citizens and police pleased with additional coverage.
Last summer, a brawl in downtown Silver Spring brought heightened concerns for public safety and increased foot patrols to the area. At the time, the county did not have the funding to place additional officers on bicycles.
According to a recent story in the Gazette, the fiscal 2012 Montgomery County budget allowed for a 12-member bike team to help patrol the busiest of the County’s six police districts and were officially activated on Monday, August 1.
In the story, Captain Donald Johnson, commander of the Silver Spring district remarked that adding the bike patrol was a decision that was one that he could make a quick decision to improve safety in downtown.
Find out what's happening in Silver Springwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Members of the squad, Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and Citizens Advisory Board are all in favor of the patrols, citing the closer relationship between officers and citizens and increased area the bicycle-mounted police officers can cover.