Beaver Staff
Twice in the last week the members of Lennox and Addington OPP’s bicycle patrol had to halt their training to make an arrest.
Officers were in Napanee’s downtown core to conduct training on Monday when bicycle officers observed two people known to police that were on conditions not to communicate with each other. Both parties were subsequently arrested.
A 29-year-old person is charged with two counts of failing to comply with a recognizance while a 26-year-old person is charged with breaching a probation order. Both accused are from Napanee and were held in custody for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice on Tuesday.
The following day bicycle officers observed a person known to be the subject of an arrest warrant. Officers observed the person riding a bicycle on John Street in Napanee. When officers approached to arrest the person, they fled the scene on foot. Officers were able to locate the person on their bikes and affect an arrest.
A 30-year-old man of Napanee was charged contrary to the Criminal Code with: possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and resisting a peace officer.
The accused was held for a bail hearing and appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee.
These arrests highlight the effectiveness of utilizing bicycles for community patrol. The benefits of bicycle patrols include the officer having a community focus and being readily approachable, having access to locations that police cruisers cannot reach, and the ability to identify offences that may not be normally observed from a police cruiser. L&A OPP detachment has a number of officers trained in bicycle patrol and will be conducting patrols throughout the season.