While many people in Toronto ride their bikes to work, there are others who ride bikes once they get to work. Among these are the 1,500 Toronto Police Service officers who are trained to patrol the city on bicycles.

The bicycle patrol started in 1989, as an experiment out of the 52 Division. It began with 12 bikes. Now the force’s bike fleet stands at 200.

According to Constable Hugh Smith – a lifelong cyclist who has been involved with the bike patrols from the beginning – the idea was to incorporate bike patrols into an overall effort to get police officers closer to the people in the community. He works out of Traffic Enforcement Services, a division that uses bike patrols. After 20 years of cycling, training and now assisting with communications related to the Toronto Police bike patrols, he is the authority when it comes to cycling issues. Safety is the primary concern for people who choose to commute to work on bike.

“Anyone using a bike for basic transportation in the city has to take precautions,” Smith says.

“Wearing a helmet is the lowest cost form of protection available. You have to be very aware of road conditions at intersections too. Plan your route so you can avoid wide intersections, streetcar tracks and the busier intersections.”

Making the transition from recreational cycling to commuting should include basic training around new skills and an emphasis on adhering to the Highway Traffic Act. The Act applies to cyclists as well, Smith notes.

Every police officer who qualifies for the bike patrol receives specialized training. Each will learn advanced shifting skills, tactical patrol techniques and even get information about nutrition and diet. A police bike costs about $1,200 and takes about $300 a year to maintain.

For close to 20 years, bike patrol uniforms have included shorts, cycling shoes and a police baseball hat that is worn when they take off their helmets. These accommodations to the standard uniform keep the bike patrol officers reasonably comfortable and able to move freely. There were initial concerns that officers in shorts would not be taken seriously, but bike officers get the same level of respect as any uniformed officer on patrol, Smith says.

Bike patrols perform the same duties as officers on foot or in patrol cars. General patrol, emergency response, traffic services and the Parking Enforcement Unit all make use of the bike patrols. “We respond to shots fired, break and enters – anything the vehicle patrols respond to,” Smith says. “It’s really no different, except that we can’t transport prisoners.”

The highest concentration of bike patrols is in the downtown divisions where they operate virtually year-round, but they can be found across the city. Bike patrols are especially useful for crowd control at special events such as parades, festivals and demonstrations.

“One bicycle officer is worth two on foot” is an old adage, Smith says, because the bikes can cover more ground efficiently. “We’re closer to the community too. There are literally no barriers between us and the community.”