Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
"It's great to be here as the 66th Precinct gives new life to an old idea. Bicycle patrols have returned to New York and they are proving to be just as effective as they were a century ago," said Mayor Giuliani. "Bicycles provide police officers with fast, flexible cost-effective transportation. The officers are in constant contact with the neighborhood -- they see more, hear more and they can move to the scene of an emergency much faster than officers on foot. Because bicycles are quiet, they transform police officers into 'stealth' patrols that can approach trouble spots with little or no advance warning--an effective tool in our parks, playgrounds and housing developments."
The Mayor continued, "I want to extend my thanks to the Police Foundation, Commissioner Safir and First Deputy Commissioner Simonetti for making bicycle patrols an integral part of our successful strategy against crime. Special thanks go to Assemblyman Dov Hikind and the "Friends of Dov Hikind" for making possible the purchase of these new bikes by raising and donating $5,600 to the Police Foundation."
The New York City Police Department deploys bicycles in 51 precincts throughout the City. Citywide, the bicycle patrols are funded by dozens of organizations -- from civic groups to business leaders to community boards. Additionally, the bike patrol officers pay for their own special uniforms. The purchase of the 66th Precinct's ten bikes was made possible by the efforts of Assemblyman Hikind and The Friends of Dov Hikind who raised and donated $5,600 to the Police Foundation.