Hendry Sheriff Re-Starts Bike Patrol

Bicycles Now Patrolling Hendry County Neighborhoods

LABELLE, FL. -- The Hendry County Sheriff's Office bike patrol unit consists of three deputies, Deputy Joshua Woods, Deputy Clifton Green and Deputy Daniel Cruz. These deputies are three of the four assigned to Community Policing in Hendry County.

Due to the fact that the community policing unit is countywide, these bicycles are utilized on both East and West sides of the county.

The bike patrol is mostly used for patrol functions, but is also used for special events such as: parades, community gatherings, football games, and other community policing opportunities.  The bike is used to patrol areas such as city parks, bike paths, downtown areas, and places where a vehicle may have a difficult time operating.

The Advantages to Officers on Bikes are:

• Bike officers can travel faster and farther than foot officers, and they are able to patrol areas unreachable by car.
• Because they are silent, officers on bikes can ride right up to the scene of a crime before they are noticed.
• Bicycles are a great public relations tool - an officer on a bike is much more approachable than one in a patrol car.
• Bike officers also have the ability to better enforce bicycle laws, monitor road conditions for bicyclists, promote bike safety and encourage crime prevention practices.

The most common areas patrolled are the City of LaBelle and areas in Clewiston that are patrolled by the Sheriff's office such as Harlem, Hookers Point and Twin Lakes.