PPB Bike Squad expands in downtown Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland police are going into high gear with their presence on bikes downtown.

The Portland Police Bureau announced an expansion to their Central Bike Squad, which will add four officers and one sergeant to the existing five members. One team already works Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. This new team of five will take on shifts from Wednesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. to midnight “but will at times adjust for special missions,” PPB said in a release.

“I am thrilled to be in a position to expand the Central Bike Squad,” PPB Chief Bob Day said. “Our Bike Squad does incredible work Downtown and growing the team will only improve upon that work. In addition, adding resources to our Bike Squad furthers my goals of transforming the dynamic between police and the public and reducing crime and the fear of crime.”

As with the original team, the additional members of the PPB Central Bike Squad will focus on livability issues on Portland streets, including cracking down on drug trafficking, illegal weapon possession, vandalism like graffiti and car theft. Police said officers on bikes can be more maneuverable than those relegated to patrol cars, especially when it comes to hard-to-reach areas. Officers also have increased awareness compared to those in cars, which helps with detecting crimes, officials said. 

The Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon recently teamed up with the PPB Central Bike Squad in an outreach pilot program aimed at bolstering efforts to connect those struggling with behavioral health issues with services. According to MHAAO’s data, 14% of the people they spoke with during the pilot were able to receive same-day drug treatment.