UTPD launches new biking unit

By Mariana Munoz

Oct. 15, 2014

AUSTIN, TEXAS—They wear bright blue uniforms and patrol around campus on bikes. Their mission: to make students feel more comfortable and less afraid to approach them.

To improve the way safety is attained, the University of Texas Police Department launched a new officer bike patrol unit on Sept.17.

UTPD Chief David Carter said the bike unit will make it easier for officers to respond quickly to incidents and get to areas where patrol cars have a hard time getting to.

“There are three kinds of street congestions— traffic, pedestrian and bicycle,” Carter said. “We’re looking to focus this unit in areas that are difficult to access with a patrol car, like the West Mall. These guys on bikes will be able to get through quicker,” he said.

Carter said the program also aims to make students feel more comfortable in approaching officers.

“Sometimes, students may notice something suspicious but don’t report it. This is a way to encourage students to let officers know what’s going on,” he said.

The new unit has a fleet of 20 bikes. According to Carter, five full-time officers are patrolling on them.

“We’ll be patrolling a whole lot of areas,” Carter said. “If we see a rising trend in incidents in a certain area, we’ll focus on that area,” he said.

Carter also said officers will patrol on and near campus, especially during times when students are on campus.

 “The unit will be on campus mostly on days when students are here, but they’ll be flexible and can respond on weekends and evenings as well,” Carter said.

Stacy Adams, a business junior, says she is still skeptical about the bike patrol making any difference.

“I’ve seen maybe one officer in a bike so far and I think we need way more out there for me to feel more safe,” she said.

According to Carter, this is the first time UTPD has had a full-time bike unit.

Carter said the plan for a bike unit has been under construction since the first few months of his appointment as police chief in July 2013.

                                                   The UTPD building serves as the headquarters for the officers.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but only until recently we’ve had the chance to look at how we operate and actually have the staffing and manpower to make it possible,” Carter said. 

John Richards, a chemical engineering sophomore, says he already feels safer on campus. “I used to always wonder, ‘where are our officers?’ Now that I see them biking around, I feel confident while walking from class to class.”

UTPD Officer, Jorge Cuellar, talks to students as he patrols the Speedway area on his bike.

Jorge Cuellar, a UTPD officer who is part of the new unit, said that he enjoys the interaction he has with students every day.

“The patrolling I used to do was mostly done by car,” he said. “Now, I’m actually out here talking to students and letting them know that we’re here for them.”

Cuellar believes that the new bike patrol unit was a good move on behalf of the department.

“I feel like I’m doing more already,” he said. “I’m bringing my skills as an officer more out in the open and having a good time while doing so.”