Winnipeg police highlight new e-bikes now available for officers

The Winnipeg Police Service has added 16 new e-bikes to its fleet for the Bicycle Patrol Program.

Winnipeg police officers that patrol the city on bicycles have received some new hardware for the job.

The service showcased the new e-bikes that officers will now ride on.

Police said 25 new officers have received training for the Bicycle Patrol Program. They will operate in the city’s four districts and will feature a combination of the already used mountain bikes, along with 16 new e-bikes.

Const. Emily Meronyk is part of that program and said the e-bikes will allow officers to do a bit more while on patrol.

“Definitely a bigger range,” she said. “If we need to get somewhere quickly, we can activate the e-bike and it gets us from point A to point B a lot quicker.”

The bikes also allow officers to access areas that they normally can’t get to in a cruiser, like secluded pathways, parks and other public spaces.

“I had never used one before working with the police service and it definitely would have been an asset because I’ve been on the regular mountain bikes when there’s a call, maybe a few blocks away and by the time you get there, you’re huffing and puffing and out of gas. With the e-bike, that allows you to kind of maintain yourself a little bit more and be able to react to the situation once we arrive on scene.”

Meronyk said she has experienced a lot of positive interactions while being part of the bike program, noting Winnipeggers appreciate seeing a police presence, especially in those secluded areas.

New members to the bike program train over four days before hitting the streets on the bikes.

The unit operates from May to October.