Shortly after the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Department of Public Safety reintroduced bicycle patrols last fall, Lt. Johnny Smith, alongside his bike, became a visible presence in and around the campus.

Now Smith — who himself trained at a one-week course given by the International Bicycle Association — will help Little Rock Police Department officers prepare for their own bike patrol.

The training started Monday, Sept. 15, and will continue until 4 p.m. today, Sept. 17, on the UALR campus.

“We will probably have 10 to 12 officers in attendance,” said UALR Interim Police Chief Regina Wade-Carter. “I am proud that the LPRD asked our department to train their officers.”

For UALR, the bike patrols have been part of a larger safety initiative that included new university police substations throughout the campus, including a substation in the Donaghey Student Center, currently under construction.

Bicycles cost less to purchase and maintain than traditional patrol cars, and because bikes run on human power rather than gas, their carbon footprint is much smaller than patrol cars.

In addition, bike patrol officers tend to be healthier and more physically fit,.

For more information about the LRPD’s decision to train for bicycle patrol, contact the LRPD at 501.837.6414.

September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month at UALR.

For more information, go to “Serious about Safety.”