Just in time for SunFest, West Palm Beach rolls out electric police carts and bikes
WEST PALM BEACH — Electric police bicycles and patrol carts powered with sirens and lights are expected to be rolled out for this weekend's annual SunFest extravaganza at the downtown waterfront.
“They are easily maneuverable in crowds. They are highly visible. The public feels comfortable around them. Our officers will be able to get to the crime scene faster than on foot or in a vehicle in a crowded area,” West Palm Police Chief Frank Adderley said.
With about 10,000 residents living downtown, about 10 percent of the city’s 117,000 population, the new equipment will boost public safety in the city business district, said Mayor Keith James at the unveiling of the equipment on a bright Tuesday morning outside city hall.
“Visibility is important, especially during our large downtown events such as SunFest and the Boat Show. The good guys need to feel safe. The bad guys need to know police are out there," James said.
The annual Boat Show, held on the downtown waterfront in March, this year drew about 55,000 visitors. The annual SunFest, held the first week in May, usually draws about twice as many.
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The twin-seater blue and black patrol carts — with 8-inch-wide tires, four cupholders on the dash and the West Palm Beach police logo on the front — will be used by the police department’s 20-member Entertainment District Unit. Each of the unit’s officers will take a 12-hour training course to use the carts and bicycles.
“Especially in the crowded outdoor downtown dining areas, the new equipment will improve our response time. And the bikes and carts are a great way to improve community relations,” said Lt. Greg Rideau, head of the Entertainment District Unit.
Total cost for the equipped two carts and six bicycles, which can travel up to 30 mph, is about $62,000. The total annual budget for the police department is about $70 million. There are about 316 sworn police department positions with about 20 vacancies, Adderley said.
Downtown business owners welcomed the new vehicles.
“I think it is great that the Police Department, supported by the Downtown Development Authority, is making a significant investment to keep the downtown patrons safe and being able to respond to incidents in a quick and environmentally friendly way,” said Tom Dabill, who has owned the Jimmy John’s in the 300 block of Clematis Street for 21 years.
Additional police visibility, along with the new businesses opening downtown, will draw more customers and entrepreneurs, said Brady Preston, general manager at Lynora’s, a downtown restaurant in the 200 block on Clematis.
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“We remodeled our restaurant last year. We are confident downtown is a thriving place. More police presence will only help,” Preston said.
Nationwide, more local police departments are using bicycles and patrol carts, according to a recent story in Police Magazine. Bicycles give police a “stealth advantage” because they are silent. Police can drive up to a crime scene without being noticed.
“This is another tool in our toolbox to create a safer and more secure place for residents and visitors to enjoy our vibrant, thriving, urban downtown district,” James said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: New at SunFest: West Palm rolls out electric police carts, bikes
