The City of Radford Department of Police began a Bike Patrol Unit as a means of maximizing the community policing goal that we strive for.  The Bike Unit consists of three (3) officers at this time and will double in number to six (6) after May, when the next needed specialized training session will be offered.  The Unit is headed by Corporal Angie Simpkins.  Corporal Simpkins has been a member of the Department since 1999.  She is a dedicated member of the Department who concentrates on community policing by being a General Instructor, an Intermediate Weapons Instructor (teaching less lethal methods of stopping a perpetrator) and was voted 2004 Officer of the Year by her peers and superiors.  All Bike Patrol Unit officers undergo a rigorous training through an academy with an International Police Mountain Bike Association certification.

The Bike Patrol Unit focuses on areas of the city that are more accessible by bicycle than patrol vehicle.  These areas include, but are not limited to:  Pathways, city parks, and alleyways in high-crime areas.  Since the bicycle can maneuver areas that a vehicle cannot, the response time for a bicycle officer can be quicker than that of an officer in a vehicle.  The accessibility of the bicycle also allows officers the benefit of chasing offenders in tight areas by bicycle rather than a foot pursuit.  The benefits to community policing included the accessibility of a Bike Patrol Officer to the public.  Officers are more approachable by the public on the bicycle, which creates a positive interaction with the community.