Yorktown Police Launch New Bicycle Unit With Focus On Community Policing

YORKTOWN, NY — In a sign of the times, police in Yorktown have a new tool.

Yorktown police have launched a new bicycle unit aimed at strengthening community policing and promoting safe e-bike operation, the department announced July 15. A priority for the unit will be addressing a rise in complaints involving e-bikes, particularly in and around the center of town, officials said.

Officers on bikes will be able to respond more quickly in places where patrol cars struggle to reach teens riding through parks, parking lots and other cut-throughs. The department said the unit is intended to improve access in those areas while at the same time expanding contact between officers and the community.

“The main goal of the bicycle unit is continuing the department's mission of community policing,” said Yorktown Police Chief Justion Foley. “We're going to engage with our community stakeholders, our business owners, our residents, people that visit the town of Yorktown, and most importantly, our youth in the Town of Yorktown.”

The new unit was built with help from two police departments in Westchester County, which donated four traditional bicycles. The town also invested in additional equipment, including two new e-bikes, specialized training and new uniforms for the officers.

Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman praised the new unit in the announcement as a response to ongoing issues involving e-bikes and as another public safety and outreach tool for the town.

"I'm extremely proud to be able to work with the Yorktown Police Department over the last 11 years," Lachterman said. "We've had a tremendous amount of change, all for the positive."

Residents can see the new bicycle officers at community events, including Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, local parades and other Yorktown gatherings. The department also said the officers involved in the unit already take part in charitable rides, including annual events honoring officers killed in the line of duty that travel by bicycle from Ground Zero to Washington, D.C.

Chief Foley encouraged residents to interact with the officers when they see them in town.

"If you see them out there, go out there, engage them, say hello," Foley said.