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Last updated on Thursday, July 5, 2018
(BLOOMINGTON) - The Indiana University Police Department is introducing motorcycle patrols to improve pedestrian safety at IU Bloomington and IUPUI.
Brad Seifers, administrative lieutenant for the Indiana University Police Department, served as a motor officer for the Bloomington Police Department for three years. Motorcycles work so well, he said, because they can fit into tight areas -- such as near narrow crosswalks on campus -- where patrol cars cannot. They are highly visible and the officers can more easily educate both drivers and pedestrians on the rules of the road.
"It's about contact with the public," he said. "We try to change behavior and educate them, as opposed to writing a bunch of tickets."
IU is one of the few Big Ten universities without motorcycle patrols -- until Monday, when the IUPD-Bloomington division debuted its motorcycles at Chick-fil-A's Hero Night event. The motorcycle patrols at IUPUI should be hitting the road next week. Pedestrian safety has been a concern on both core campuses because of accidents involving vehicles and either pedestrians or cyclists.
Since 2015, there have been 31 vehicle accidents at IUPUI, with 22 involving pedestrians and nine involving bicycles; there was one fatality. During that same period, 59 vehicle accidents occurred at IU Bloomington, with 38 involving pedestrians and 21 involving bicycles.
Officers on each campus will be looking at other measures to improve pedestrian safety, as well. IUPUI, for example, received a grant to raise awareness of the danger involved with driving and walking when also using electronic devices, such as cell phones.
The motor officers' first priority will be pedestrian safety. They also will serve a community engagement function escorting road races and athletic teams and participating in parades. The officers selected to ride the motorcycles will be more accessible to the public and easier to talk to -- similar to officers on bicycle patrols.
The two officers selected from each campus completed their training in May at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's motor patrol training facility. The Harley Davidsons Electra Glides were delivered this summer.
Eventually, each campus will have 4-6 motor officers sharing the two motorcycles for each campus.
Seifers said Harleys were chosen for economic reasons, such as price and ease of service. The department could have them serviced locally.
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