South Bend Police aims to increase community building with e-bikes on patrol

SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Police Department revealed its new policing tool — e-bikes — just in time for Michiana Bike to Work week, hoping to build relationships in the community while continuing an efficient patrol throughout the city.

Michiana Bike to Work — May 13 to 17 — promotes community and features biking events such as an evening ride at Pinhook Park, a pancake breakfast at Jon Hunt Memorial Plaza and a brewery ride starting from Sun King Brewery at the Ironworks Plaza.

The department was the recipient of the 2023Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, through which it was able to purchase nine new e-bikes from Fort Wayne-based vendor RECON. The grant allocated $55,000 toward public outreach. The grant also paid for batteries, chargers and equipment needed.

The decision to purchase e-bikes came from the combined findings of a commissioned 21st Century Policing Practices report, officer surveys, community surveys and staff meetings, Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski said Thursday in the department's garage. With their findings, the SBPD addressed two questions: What would cops like to have, and what would the community like to have?

"One of the top things we heard from the officers and the community is that they would like to interact with officers that patrol in the areas they live or work in," Operations Division Chief Dan Skibins said. "We think these e-bikes are going to provide that interaction with individuals. Our officers said they want the ability and the time to be able to do that."

With a fully staffed department, Skibins said, SBPD can assign officers on the patrol shift to use bikes to have further interaction with the community they serve.

Ruszkowski said the department won't be slacking due to patrol on e-bikes.

"We're going to be able to as quickly respond on the bike as we can in a squad car," he said. "No one's going to out run them on foot and no one can outrun a police radio. Most notably, these can go where squad cars can't."

Officers will be able to patrol down alleys, sidewalks, parking garages, the East Race and everywhere you can take a bicycle, Ruszkowski said. The bikes can reach 28 miles per hour with a range of 50 miles per charge. The SBPD will use them on all shifts in all areas of town.

Officers demonstrated the ease of biking around the police department's garage, displaying the speed, headlights, emergency lights, siren and saddle bags containing gear.

Ruszkowski discussed officer safety while patrolling on e-bikes.

"The class entails many strategies and tactics with the bike," Ruszkowski said.

Currently, 20 officers are trained.

"We deal with more than one person on or off the bike, abrupt stops, up and down curves and obstacles," he said. "They've all been trained to deal with that. Gravity is there, but they're extremely careful."

In all-around safety measures, Ruszkowski said, officers will wear their vests, a helmet and some may choose to wear elbow and knee protection.

The remaining money from the grant was used to purchase the department's new police car bounce house, which will debut at the School's Out Cookout on June 8 at Kennedy Park.