Denver’s newest police cars are now police e-bikes

Denver is joining several other U.S. cities in adding a fleet of electric bicycles to police department patrol vehicles.

According to local Fox 31 KDVRDenver is adding 27 new electric bicycles to its police force, spread across six police districts.

The new e-bike initiative, which was led by the Denver City Council, Councilman Flor Alvidrez, members of the Denver Police Department, and the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency, will help provide officers with a more mobile platform that can access to areas that patrol cars cannot reach, while allowing officers to respond more quickly.

It’s another example of how Denver is making electric bikes a priority in the city, after recently introducing a… additional $1.3 million in financing for its groundbreaking e-bike discount program, designed to make e-bikes more affordable for residents looking to replace commuting by car with more efficient alternative transportation. That discount program has proven so popular among residents that when each new tranche of discounts opens, these often retrieved in less than a minute.

The adoption of electric bicycles by the Denver Police Department is just one example of the fast-growing trend. The Los Angeles Police Department has been using electric bicycles (see above) in its diverse fleet for years.

Many police forces have touted the benefits of electric bicycles, which provide easier access to areas such as public parks, busy city centers and other locations limited to traditional patrol vehicles.

Compared to classic bicycles, e-bikes ensure that police officers arrive faster and less excitedly.

They are even used for traffic patrols Police officers on electric bicycles have been seen running over cars for traffic information, just like officers in patrol cars.

E-bikes have also been proven to significantly reduce costs for police services. In addition to the obvious fuel savings compared to patrol cars with combustion engines, e-bikes have also significantly reduced the maintenance costs of police car fleets.

Who knows, the next time you run that stop sign or creep too far over the speed limit, the blue and red lights in your mirror might be mounted on the handlebars.

Top image: Dall-E AI generated; second image: courtesy of LAPD