Bikes are increasingly important as a law enforcement tool for police departments nationwide.

On hilly, silvan campuses like Wittenberg's, the benefits have proved great. But so have the challenges. During summer bicycle training of officers from multiple jurisdictions around the university, the campus offered officers a learning environment filled with rich groves, meadows, hills and stairs.

"Bikes give us additional mobility over foot patrol, and can even improve our response time," said campus Security Director Daniel Krumholtz. Four Wittenberg police officers and one security guard participate in the university bike patrol. In addition to police cruiser coverage, Krumholtz staffs one or two bike officers on most evening shifts.

'We like them because we can get straight line transportation on campus with a bike," he added. The $1,500 bike's shock absorbers allow officers to go almost anywhere on campus, he said. "The other benefit is stealth — we can quickly close on suspects before they even know it."

Campus police officers need to cultivate the unique ability to protect the campus while preserving, or even contributing to the unique qualities of a learning environment. Bike patrol is a useful tool that maximizes both officers' contact with the community and their ability to respond.

"An officer on a bike is less obtrusive," Krumholz explained. "Police in patrol cars are perceived as outside, authority figures that are unapproachable. An officer on a bike is a person, who can fit into community events, and is better able to quell a situation before it gets started."