E-bikes have hit the streets of Birmingham city centre as the latest tool to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and keep people safe.
Six of the electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPCs) have been used by city centre officers in a recent pilot, allowing them to cover more ground, more quickly than a traditional bike.
And they’ve proved a major success, with officers on the bikes riding to 119 incidents, carrying out 16 arrests and 24 stop and searches through the pilot period.
Officers have been specially trained to ride the e-bikes safely and ensuring the safety of pedestrians and road users is never compromised. The bikes have a top speed of 15.5mph with electric assistance, but officers can reach higher speeds through pedal power alone and when it’s safe to do so.
The battery means they can cover distances of up to 70 miles on a single charge.
Now that the bikes have proved their worth in Birmingham, we are looking at rolling them out across the West Midlands in the coming months.
Insp Dan Thomas, who’s overseen the rollout in the city centre, said: “The bikes are a massive hit with officers and the public alike and have made a real difference since we started using them.
“Officers who use the bikes regularly arrive at emergencies before colleagues in cars on blue lights, because of how agile the bikes are and how much easier it is to get around the city centre on them.
“We’ve had officers riding up to 20 miles in a shift, going to and from many different calls for help from the public.
“We’ve had people run away from us when we’ve tried to detain them, but who have quickly run out of steam when followed at a safe distance by officers on the e-bikes.
“Others have said that they’ve seen the bike and thought it wasn’t worth running from us.
“And the feedback we’re getting from the public is great – they are distinctive and visible, and people are commenting on them as they are out and about.
“We’re conscious that e-bikes, and in particular illegally modified bikes capable of travelling much faster than the law allows, are a real concern for people in the city centre.
“Our riders undergo special training to be able to use the bikes safely, and the bikes themselves are well maintained.
“The bikes have also meant that we’ve been able to stop and speak to riders of illegally modified bikes, and we’ll continue to be seizing those vehicles and dealing with the riders for traffic offences.”
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