While some police departments in the US and around the world are busy chasing down illegal or reckless e-bike riders, others are taking a very different approach: if you can’t beat them, join them.
The latest example comes from the Wichita Police Department, which has just added five new electric bikes to its patrol fleet. According to the department, the new Trek e-bikes will be used to help officers be more visible, reach people faster, and operate more effectively during events and in busy areas throughout the city.
That’s exactly where e-bikes shine. Unlike patrol cars, electric bikes can slip through traffic congestion, navigate crowded downtown streets, and roll down narrow paths that vehicles simply can’t access. And unlike traditional bicycles, the electric assist reduces fatigue and extends range, allowing officers to stay in the saddle longer without wearing themselves out.
The Wichita e-bike program was made possible through support from the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation, along with local and corporate partners QuikTrip and Bicycle X-Change. It’s a relatively small rollout for now, but it mirrors a much broader trend in policing that’s been gaining momentum globally over the past several years.
Police departments in cities across the US and Europe have increasingly turned to electric bikes for urban patrols, crowd control, park policing, and large public events. E-bikes offer a middle ground between foot patrols and vehicles: officers remain approachable and visible, but can still cover meaningful distances quickly. In dense areas, response times can actually be faster on an e-bike than in a patrol car stuck in traffic.
There’s also a public relations upside. Communities often respond more positively to officers on bikes than to officers behind windshields. Conversations are easier, interactions feel less adversarial, and officers are more present in the spaces people actually use. Add electric assist, and suddenly bike patrol becomes practical for a much wider range of officers and assignments.
At a time when headlines often focus on enforcement crackdowns and seized e-bikes, Wichita’s move is a reminder that electric bikes themselves aren’t the problem. Used thoughtfully, they can be part of the solution. For some departments, that solution increasingly looks like hopping on an e-bike and riding right alongside the community they serve.
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