Sgt. Matthew Ehrenreich saddles up to begin the first regular bike patrol by the Red Bank Police in more than a decade. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
The uniform shorts were crisp and new. The freshly tuned-up Raleigh bike hardly looked like it had sat in storage since President Obama’s first term. On Friday, Sgt. Matt Ehrenreich pedaled out of the lot at 90 Monmouth Street as The Red Bank Police Department began bicycle patrols for the first time in roughly fifteen years, marking a shift both in crime trends and priorities in recent years.
Sgt. Enhrenreich on patrol within the Broadwalk pedestrian plaza. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
For now, Frazee said the patrols will entail one officer on a bike during the morning to afternoon shift on a regular basis, weather permitting.
Frazee, who continues to fill the duties of chief of police, said the idea was one he and currently-suspended Chief Darren McConnell, had both wanted to re-start.
“It’s important I think for community relations as well as, (being) easy access through the town,” Frazee said.
The department still had six or seven bikes from when patrols were active. They had four repaired and tuned up at Shrewsbury Bicycles, where the techs said they were in good enough shape to use once again.
Red Bank had bike patrols in previous decades, but they were discontinued when manpower was shifted to a crime task force to combat spikes in robberies and other street crimes. Since then, the bikes have been collecting dust.
But robberies are down from 20 in 2004 to just six last year. Overall crime is down more than 30 percent over the same time period, according to a comparison of data provided by the Red Bank Police and FBI Uniform Crime Reports. That allows manpower to be moved away from investigating street crimes to other areas.
And Frazee says traffic congestion and other changes make a bike patrol a more appealing option to cover the town. The patrols also prompt officers to engage in a more visible way with the community, he said.
“It’s something I wanted to do, it’s important for us to get out and interact and have people see us,” Frazee said.
Borough Manager Jim Gant pledged his support for the move, saying he heard members of the community request the resumption of bike patrols during a forum on cycling and pedestrian issues. In an email to redbankgreen Gant wrote:
Captain Frazee undoubtedly sees the benefits of reestablishing bike patrols in Red Bank along with myself and the governing body. It was evident during our first Biking and Pedestrian Forum that a concerted bike patrol effort would be beneficial to enforcing and monitoring some of our residents’ concerns. I see this as a great opportunity to engage with the community on two wheels instead of four. This will not only allow for our officers to interact more directly with our residents and visitors, but also, it will improve their ability to navigate our urban landscape more effectively. We’ve been putting more and more emphasis on biking, both infrastructure and safety enhancements so this initiative is in direct alignment with those two goals. I, for one, am appreciative of the Red Bank Police for recognizing the significance of this endeavor.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
