Forget ten-speeds. Today’s cop bikes are motorized
By David O’Neill
Illustration by Ryan Greis
Downtown, crooks may run, but now they can’t hide ... as easily as they once did. The petty, the perverted and the just plain pathetic are encountering a little more justice, thanks to a smart initiative by St. Louis’ finest.
Tower Grove East is the latest area in which the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is using scooters as a crime-fighting tactic. Scooter patrols began in early June, and Chief Joe Mokwa doesn’t have trouble ticking off advantages of the new rides.
“Obviously maneuverability is a key one—they can go through alleys,” he says, all the better to tail crack peddlers and car thieves on the scuttle through side streets and other tight clefts. “Also, they’re just very user-friendly and accessible for us.”
The cost (roughly $14,000 for this model) and surprisingly fast speeds of 100 mph and up make the scooters more than just user-friendly. With fuel prices edging into the $3-per-gallon range, the scooters, which can get upwards of 120 miles per gallon, represent a cost-effective alternative to their four-wheeled, V8-outfitted counterparts.
Officers first hit the pavement on their sleek, black and, yes, marked semihogs in District 6, better known as North City. They’ve also been used with reported success in South City. Parts of the Central West End are also patrolled by officers on scooters, a department spokesman reports, although the results have been swell in some areas but less so in others.
The bikes operate out of substations in said districts, and Mokwa reports that area residents—particularly those who’ve felt the bite of crime—are hard pressed not to salute at their sight.
So far, inclement weather hasn’t been a problem, and don’t think that the officers carry less baggage when they’re on two wheels. “They’re in full uniform,” says Mokwa—including helmets.
Initiatives such as the new scooters are designed to make us feel safer. But while city dwellers are feeling somewhat more at ease, city scooter use is giving CHiPs fans a rush.
