By Moses Leos III
Look twice the next time you see a bicyclist roaming the streets in Buda – he or she may be sporting a shield and uniform.
After a short hiatus, the Buda Police Department is bringing back its bicycle patrol units.
Yet, whether on two wheels or four, the goal remains the same: to uphold the law.
“It is an effective means of control,” Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd said. “It’s another world of policing.”
The bike patrols began prior to the department’s founding in 2010. At that time, Hays County oversaw what was then known as the Buda Patrol. The bike program provided the department a quieter, less noticeable presence on the street, Kidd said.
Officer Patrick Cheatham recalled the importance of using bikes for patrol. As one of the first on-bicycle officers, Cheatham aided detectives who were trying to catch would-be car burglars in the Bradfield, Bonita Vista and Sequoyah neighborhoods.
He believes the bikes helped the police keep a watchful eye in the area. He said the quiet, stealthy aspect of the bike counteracted the loud noises from a car. It also allowed faster movement and more freedom, with less obstruction than in a car.
During the daytime hours, the Buda bike patrols scanned the parking lots of Cabela’s, H-E-B and Walmart for car burglars. Today the area is known as the “Triangle,” due to a high rate of car thefts.
However, when Buda Patrol became the Buda Police Department, the bike patrols were shelved for lack of manpower. That was until Fire Marshal Mike Duffey considered joining the police force solely in that capacity.
While Duffey works with the Buda Fire Department, he has experience in the police field. Four years ago, he went through the training academy with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.
With his enjoyment of cycling, Duffey felt he could contribute to the Buda Police Department. Kidd believes he reinvigorated the bike program.
In April, Duffey went through the same Police Cyclist course in San Marcos as Kidd and Cheatham did previously. Certified instructors annually hold the course, which is sponsored by the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA).
During the one-week, thirty hour-course, all three tackled the challenging IPMBA course. The course takes officers through several types of terrain, preparing them for hazards they may face.
“It is a tough course,” Duffey said. “You do a lot of off road mountain biking, a 30-mile bike trip and [go through] several cone courses.”
The academy taught the officers the proper way to discharge a firearm while on a bike. It also taught them how to crash properly.
