maallyn

Folks:

I have been hearing rumors that it was the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle that pioneered, along with the Seattle Police, the use of bicycles by the police.

Do any of you know if this is true?

I am curious, especially now seeing what this it being turned into by some police officers, who are using their bicycles as weapons against peaceful protest activity. An example of which is here: https://www.gaycitynews.com/stonewal...nsive-arrests/

Mark

riversiderider

You say you have been "hearing rumors". Are these rumors conversations you had or have you read something that you can share with the rest of us?
Pete

maallyn

It was a conversation with someone whom I thought was a member at the time. This was in the end of the 1990's. Apparently the club and the Seattle Police department worked on the project together to come up with the specifications for the bicycles that were to be used in a pilot program as well as the goals of the program to prove that the bicycles would be effective in patrols and crowd control.

At the time, I was not in any position to pursue further this further as I was leaving Seattle for Boston.

jon c. 

Police have been using bicycles since the 1800s.

BengeBoy 

As noted by Roger Miller in 1965 -- "Bobbies on bicyles, two by two..."

Roger Miller - "england swings"