Placer County Sheriff's Office bike unit gains new momentum after years-long hiatus
Placer County sheriff's deputies patrol in a variety of ways — from SUVs to boats, to off-road vehicles and even helicopters. Now, they're taking it back to the basics and gearing up to ride on two wheels.
"Four wheels can't get where two wheels can, so they allow us access to places we normally wouldn't be able to access," said Sgt. Martin Ervin, bike patrol unit supervisor.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office Bike Unit program — first established more than 20 years ago — is getting new momentum after a years-long hiatus.
"It takes away that barrier between us and the public, as far as getting out of the car and letting them see that we're a person just like you," Sgt. Ervin said.
From special events, parades and even recreational areas, interacting with the public in harder-to-navigate spaces is the primary role of these E-Biking deputies.
"So these are guys that are doing this because they have a passion for bikes and passion for interacting with the community at a more personal level," Sgt. Ervin said.
Snaking their way through tight turns and learning to control the bikes at low speeds, these deputies are going through training meant to emulate crowded public spaces — where you will likely see them this summer.
The unit is comprised of more than a dozen deputies serving a county that stretches from the river-woven foothills of Auburn to the mountainous trails of Lake Tahoe.
"If somebody gets hurt, being able to find them. A lot of times on these bike trails you have these big canopies and it's hard to find somebody by air," Sgt. Ervin said. "We can get out on a bike and we can locate somebody that needs assistance."
Placer County sheriff's deputies are shifting their community outreach approach to gear up for a summer on two wheels.
"Most importantly, to us, it allows us to engage with the community," Sgt. Ervin said. "It allows us to communicate between us and them, letting them see us, letting them feel more comfortable approaching us."
