Cops need cycle training too

I lol'd

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2725862/Cops-draw-up-93-page-guide-on-how-to-ride-a-bike.html

Ace comments:

"I* understand they have another manual coming out soon concerning the correct way to club someone to the ground.
Entitled Know your Truncheon, the 416 pages deal mainly with the risk of having your hand on a head you are about to club. Published in large print, the manual caters for minorities within the police force, providing them with a section on prayers, one of which should be recited before and after each clubbing."*

I agree with this comment:

Whats the problem? There are guidelines which need to be adhered to when riding a bike for the police and giving chase. This is most definitely required and needs to be set out in a document. The police ridiculed? I think more people will be laughing at this article.

they all have to do a course to drive a jam sandwich, or a motorbike don't they. thank fuck they do one for bikes, or they'd be even worse riders than many already are

Exactly RPM, one day it's tax, license and test cyclist then it's cycling s too simple to need teaching, it's wast of money. The papers, consistent as ever.

i like this image from guardian

i've passed coppers doing the training in victoria park and i think it's a great thing. And before they move onto complicated cop stuff they spend at least one morning learning how to ride one-handed while eating a bagel.

The police have their own cycle training units. While I don't know whether the advice in the manual is sound, it's good that they're placing high importance on training.

I have a mate who's a baby po po (pcso) he broke his arm doing his emergency stop training.

can't read the article due to web filter at work, but on the general topic - the police are given the bikes, and asked to ride the bikes as part of their job - if the employer cannot show that they have undertaken an appropriate degree of due diligence in ensuring that they have provided the employee with the necessary training in safe use of the equipment, and the employee subsequently injures themselves, then they will sue the arse off their employer - so it is largely about financial risk management.

(I recall the police have a great record of self-inflicted injuries from those power station protests recently some of which reported injuries were very funny and showed the police need to seriously HTFU)

Found it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/15/kingsnorth-climate-change-environment-police

....ministers justified what they called the "proportionate" £5.9m cost of the operation, pointing out that 70 officers had been injured in the course of their duties.

But data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act puts a rather different slant on the nature of those injuries, disclosing that not one was sustained in clashes with demonstrators.
......
Only four of the 12 reportable injuries involved any contact with protesters at all and all were at the lowest level of seriousness with no further action taken.

The other injuries reported included "stung on finger by possible wasp"; "officer injured sitting in car"; and "officer succumbed to sun and heat". One officer cut his arm on a fence when climbing over it, another cut his finger while mending a car, and one "used leg to open door and next day had pain in lower back".

A separate breakdown of the 33 patients treated by the police tactical medicine unit at the climate camp shows that three officers had succumbed to heat exhaustion, three had toothache, six were bitten by insects, and others had diarrhoea, had cut their finger or had headaches.

What annoys me most is the general tone of the articles that cycling in general and cycling in an busy environment is a trivial task. This say a lot about the real attitude towards cycling from the media and general public. I'm not saying it's rocket science, but the level of skill required to ride a bike around a busy roundabout safely is much grater than that required to drive a car in the same situation.

Ah but driving whilst using a handset, changing gear and failing to indicate takes skill and hard work to perfect.

Skully you missed rolling a fag and having an argument with the sat nav on that list.

no to mention eating burger, chips and a drink with all of the above and a map on the steering wheel

Ah but driving whilst using a handset, changing gear and failing to indicate takes skill and hard work to perfect.

that's why so many are practicing it.

we really need somewhere where we can all log instances of phone use whilst driving, just for the sake of statistics. then after a year send it to the twats at westminster.

I must see 1 in3 drivers doing this every day

what a load of bollocks. Bet the Sun will write articles on lack of training if/when a copper gets hit whilst cycling...

aye, i saw a bunch of policyclists going down the steps near upper thames street, on saturday night after Bicycle Film Festival. They told me that it was a part of their training. The way they were rolling down looked very pathetic.

Breaking a bone that puts you out of action is always annoying, but how the fuck did they manage to break an arm doing an emergency stop?

The arm performed the emergency stop.

Very humerus Oliver.

...and away you go.

No, I'm afraid I can't be arsed.

No, I'm afraid I can't be arsed.

ya got cops that are trained well, ya got pcsos that are trained to deliver training...ya got pscos given bikes to ride in my area who ride on the pavement? cos they havent had any training.
but how many of these are RIDERS?
prolly on a national basis London bike cops are the best, some of them that used to ride c.mass could roll, but they were in a minority.

No, I'm afraid I can't be arsed.

Seems like a bone of contention...

Why break a habit of a lifetime?

Not that I would like to cast aspersions.

That would only compound the situation.

Sorry for being fractious earlier.

I think this is great. Not every person grew up doing lots of cycling and loads of these coppers are jumping on bikes with not knowing the basic stuff. So both a handbook and lessons in gnarly urban pursuit riding are both sensible ideas.

I think however they should put more focus on rider comfort. They all have to wear magnum boots FFS! In the summer I often see a policewoman in stab-vest, high viz plastic raincoat & the magnum boots on. Really slowly crawling along looking really miserable. Just feel sorry for them sometimes.

if they all get good at fast city riding could make for some quality chases whwn helmet wearing is made a legal requirement :-I

who will be stuck in queues.....er, wheres this going?
I used to love the delicious irony of cops on bikes policing c.mass. because it was the only way to police it.