Canton Police officially debuted the city’s new bike patrol team Friday night, June 26.
Police Chief Mark Mitchell said the unit’s creation came out of discussions on how to improve the department’s outreach and that five officers have undergone training. Mitchell said the goal is to send out a three-person team at least once a month to a part of town where calls for police service are up.
Mitchell said during its debut weekend the bike crew and support vehicle paid a visit to apartment complexes in south Canton where assaults, thefts and juvenile misbehavior issues have been on the rise, handing out drinks to youngsters as part of a bid to build rapport. Mitchell said he’s hopeful the bike patrol can be used several times monthly.