Pawtucket Police To Resume Seasonal Bicycle Patrols

PAWTUCKET, RI — Pawtucket police will resume their bicycle patrols this week and continue through October.

The bicycle patrol lets officers be more present in the neighborhoods, the Office of Mayor Donald Grebien said in a news release. Patrolling by bicycle lets officers see things they wouldn't see while behind the wheel of a cruiser. The bikes support more direct interactions with residents, and are also useful for crowd situations and noise disturbances.

Live in Pawtucket? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. You can also download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

“We are happy to be out in the community with residents being more active after the pandemic,” stated Police Chief Tina Goncalves. “We want to let residents know that they can call us whenever there is an issue and that we will be out here in the community to help protect you through these community-based approaches.”

“After the past year, we look forward to having our Police Department Bicycle Patrol back out in the community,” said Pawtucket Community Liaison Kassandra Florez. “The bicycle patrol is an important part of the continued approach to better serve our residents and interact with them more.”

The city hopes that residents will feel comfortable speaking with patrol officers on bicycles, especially in light of two recent fatal shootings in the city, Grebien's office said.