By Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
The Jamaica Constabulary Force's Bicycle Patrol units are plagued by manpower and equipment shortage. - File
THE JAMAICA Constabulary Force's bicycle patrol, reintroduced across the island to help stem the crime wave, is almost grounded.
The bicycles are laid up in stations for want of parts and the policemen are being transferred out of the patrol units to other parts of the force.
Police patrolling on bicycles have been around since the 70s, but it took a long sabbatical before Commissioner Francis Forbes officially introduced the 'new' Bicycle Patrol Units in 14 divisions islandwide five years ago. More than 100 officers were trained for this area of policing.
The pedalling police officers rode out with a bang, literally. In late January of 1999, a day after they rode out of training and onto the roads of Montego Bay, a member of the police bicycle patrol unit shot and killed a man who was accused of stealing a handbag. Simple larceny of this kind is part of the unit's responsibility.
In April 1999, three months after the introduction of the unit, the late Superintendent Lloyd McDonald, who was in charge of the St. Catherine South Police Division, said that there was a 38 per cent decline in robberies and a 34 per cent decrease in break-ins in Portmore, St. Catherine.
Today, however, the Bicycle Patrol units face a steep uphill task, as they fight not only external criminal elements but also internal shortages of both manpower and equipment.
DWINDLED
An officer at the Elletson Road Motorised Division who wished to remain anonymous told The Sunday Gleaner that the Bicycle Patrol Unit within that division had dwindled from 12 members to three.
"Members have been transferred to other areas of the Motorised Division as well as other divisions of the force and they have not been replaced," he said.
Compounding this shortage of personnel is the fact that several bicycles needed parts. Only three bicycles in the division were street ready.
"They (bicycles) need parts. We need money to buy the parts to fix them. There is a wide range of problems, from as simple as braking systems to handle bars and tyres," the senior officer stated.
The Sunday Gleaner spoke with Larry Kong, proprietor of L.K. Bicycle Centre, 74 Lady Musgrave Road, who said he has done repair work for the Bicycle Patrol Unit but that it has been a while since he has done any work for them.
Mr. Kong said that the bicycles the police ride are high-end mountain bicycles and as a result their parts are costly.
"Two bikes can cost about $4,000 to repair. The labour is not much but parts are expensive."
Mr. Kong, who has attended to about 10 of the police's bicycles, said that the bicycles usually come in for repairs to gear and brake systems or for new tyres. While a tyre goes for $400, a brake system ranges from $800 to $1,500.
Mr. Kong also pointed out that it took about eight months for him to receive payment for the last job he did for the police. As a result, Mr. Kong said he was not overly keen to take on another police project.
"I don't think I am going to do anything for them anymore unless I see money upfront," stressed Mr. Kong.
The senior officer from the Motorised Division added that currently they deploy two bicycle officers to New Kingston on a daily basis, but described that number as "woefully inadequate".
"We could work with 12 officers for the time being but certainly we need a stronger figure," he said.
Scrapping the Bicycle Patrol programme is not an option, the senior officer stressed. Instead, he said, the aim should be to resuscitate the initiative a feat he admits will not come cheap.
NEW TEAM, NEW BICYCLES
"We need to train a new team, get new bicycles, outfits for bicycle men will have to also be considered and that is going to cost money that we can't come up with right now," he lamented.
In Montego Bay, Inspector Melvin Dennis, attached to the St. James Divisional Headquarters located in the Montego Bay Freeport, told The Sunday Gleaner that their Bicycle Patrol Unit had been doing a tremendous job, especially with regards to "traffic congestion and prosecuting traffic offenders."
However, he expressed similar sentiments as his Corporate Area counterpart. Inspector Dennis said the Bicycle Patrol Unit, which started out with 14 bicycles now has 16. However, four of the 16 are out of commission. Also, he said, out of the initial 14 officers only six are currently working in the department. The Inspector cited transfers among the reasons for the reduction of men in the unit.
As a result, the Inspector said, the unit is not able to maintain a strong presence in certain areas.
"It is a given that this will negatively affect the number of patrol teams we can dispatch on any given day... so now there are fewer officers to concentrate on a wider area."
Another high-ranking official from the St. Catherine North Division, who also wished to remain anonymous, also agonised about the shortage of police officers in the unit that mans the vicinity of Spanish Town.
THE FAITHFUL FEW
"We presently have four working, but we wouldn't mind having that number doubled," said the senior officer. He added that the shortage has resulted in more work for the faithful few who still mount their bicycles to tackle the daily obstacles.
Inspector Lionel Rayson attached to the Ocho Rios Police said their team, which plays a major role in the resort areas, has waned from eight members to four. Inspector Rayson said he is not asking for much, except that the number of officers once available to the unit be restored. However, he had no complaints about shortage of bicycles, as several are parked at the station.
The Constabulary Communication Network would neither confirm nor deny the run-down state of the programme but it did say that the programme was under review and there were plans to upgrade it.
