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SALT LAKE CITY — They are called the Fusion Bike Unit. These Salt Lake City police officers tend to keep watch in parks and shopping areas around the city. The idea is they can hopefully catch more things happening rather than having to be called out to the scene.
While riding a bike may seem easy, being a member of this bike unit is not. Before these officers can hit the streets on a 10 speed, they have to go through some fairly intensive training and testing. Each of these courses, designed to simulate potential conditions downtown. It's really different from any other kind of bicycle riding.
"Being able to ride slow, helps us maneuver through crowds and through obstacles,” Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Shawn Smart explained, “and just being able to do it second nature and not have to worry about if I'm gonna hit somebody or if I'm gonna fall off."
But while it may seem like just a few simple obstacles, officers say it's crucial in training bike patrols to handle downtown areas that may be tough for officers in cars.
"I really think the benefit of it is the mobility of having multiple officers in a crowded environment,” detective Tracy Ita said.
The training was to help officers interested in the post understand the rigors of high-visibility urban patrol work along the city’s foothills.
KSL's Mike Anderson trained with the Fusion Patrol Tuesday. See how he did by clicking the play button above.
Email: manderson@ksl.com
