The Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department is proud to announce the creation
of its new Bicycle Unit. The Bicycle Unit will be an integral part of patrol operations within the department, providing officers with greater advantages in public outreach and response. The officers will gain mobility in their patrol operations by reaching more remote locations in less time, but also allow them to patrol more crowded areas where patrol vehicles are impractical.
The New Jersey section of the Palisades Interstate Park is the region’s most active concentration of bicycle activity on both amateur and professional levels. The new unit will allow officers to connect with the cycling community on a more common ground and raise riders’ safety awareness.
Staff:
When the concept of a bicycle unit was created, Chief Coppola reached out to the department’s membership to find volunteers interested. Within a few hours, almost a dozen officers immediately responded, expressing their desire to be a part of the new unit. The members were tasked with researching equipment, creating policies, and designing uniforms. The members also created the Class A division patch, worn only by those members active in the Bicycle Unit.
Dlt. Roman Galloza #345 oversees the Bicycle Unit, whose day-to-day operations are supervised by Sgt. Fabricio Salazar #362. All officers must meet certain requirements, including health and wellness requirements, to be part of the unit. Unfortunately, though, class size limitations allowed only 6 officers to be trained initially, with the balance trained by summer’s end.
Support:
To ensure the new unit’s success, we felt it was important to collaborate with experts in the field on a daily basis. In doing so, we met with Carine Joannou, President of Jamis Bicycles in Northvale, New Jersey (www.JamisBikes.com). Much of our success in the unit is attributed to the support and assistance of Jamis Bicycles. During the research phase of the unit’s creation, we discussed with Mrs. Joannou the needs of the bicycle community, how we could meet them, and what the bicycle community would benefit most from a unit like ours.
After designing our plans to meet those objectives, Mrs. Joannou advised us that they would donate six new model Trail X3 bicycles and assist us in procuring the equipment needed for each rider.
On Wednesday, May 14th, 2014, representatives from Jamis Bicycles presented members of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department’s command staff and Bicycle Unit with the six new bicycles and equipment. Production crews also began filming footage documenting the creation of the new bicycle unit, the officers’ training, and their time on the road.
Mrs. Joannou lauded the program, stating: “We are excited to work with the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department on this initiative. It is a perfect alignment for our company to work with the law enforcement community on a project that is designed to enhance bicycle safety in the community. We feel the Trail X3 bicycles were perfect for their patrols on the roadway and the rugged off-road terrain in the area. ”
