The Campus Chronicle

Volume 3, No. 36
September 19, 2003

(Left to right) Heather Pittman, Vasna Pong and Melinda Durham are part of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s new bike patrol.
Photo by Wayne C. Moore

SCAD bike patrol gets in gear

By John Bennett

On Sept. 12, three Savannah College of Art and Design college security officers began using new equipment that makes them more visible, provides greater mobility on varied terrain and improves the quality of their interactions with SCAD students and others in the community. The devices are Specialized bicycles modified for patrol purposes.

According to Gene Friedman, director of college security, a bicycle patrol was initiated at SCAD for many of the same reasons they are popular with law enforcement and security organizations across the country.

“On many college campuses and in Savannah, the bicycle is one of the primary means of transportation. So there’s a natural, built-in rapport between the students and these officers,” he said. “I’m looking for our bike patrol to be highly visible and thus serve as a deterrent. They will be proactive instead of reactive. They will be a reassuring presence. Students who might be a little leery about walking in certain areas at certain times of the day and night can be confident and comfortable when they see the bike patrol in that area. Patrol routes and times will coincide with our students. For example, we have determined that a primary route is from the Jen Library to and from the residence halls.”

Friedman said students could expect to see the patrol on Broughton Street and on the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor.

Vasna Pong, Melinda Durham and Heather Pittman are the first members of the college security department’s bicycle patrol. Both Pong and Durham served in the U.S. Army. Durham is a current member of the National Guard, is a martial arts instructor and is studying criminal justice at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

“All three of these officers are in their early 20s, a similar age group as our college population. They can relate to them. Students might more readily receive information and guidance from them. They will be visible and approachable,” Friedman said.

While the bicycles and the officers’ distinctive uniforms will make them easily recognizable, they also will be better able to recognize potential problems, especially compared to officers patrolling in cars.

“They will not be locked behind a door with the windows rolled up. They can hear better, they can see better and they can be seen better,” Friedman said.

The bicycles also will make them more mobile than officers on foot patrol.

“They will have quicker response time and they can go places a car cannot go. They’ve received professional training and were taught how to ride down stairs, jump curbs and navigate their bicycles in an urban environment,” he said.

Friedman said reaction to the new patrol has been overwhelmingly positive and has included enthusiastic support from local law enforcement and members of the community.

“These officers will serve as supplemental eyes and ears for the Savannah Police Department,” he said. “What they’re doing is a benefit to the entire community.”

Plans are already underway to add additional officers to the bike patrol, however, Friedman said he is committed to finding the right people for the job.

“You can’t just take anybody and put them on a bike. They have to come to the job physically fit and they become even more so as they spend time on the job. We are looking for people with superior interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to our student population.”

Friedman said long-term plans include CPR training for the bike patrol officers. In addition, Friedman hopes the officers may serve as advisers to student cycling organizations.