LAPD Redesigns 20 Bulls Sentinel eBikes For Its Unique Needs
More electric bicycles (e-bikes) are finding their way to law enforcement — to help law enforcement. Although police officers riding bicycles might not seem like the ideal pursuit approach, e-bikes are perfect for many instances when a car is just too big and motorcycles too loud
20 Bulls Sentinel eBikes Redesigned For The LAPD
Part of the department’s ongoing green initiative program, 20 Bulls Sentinel eBikes have been redesigned and delivered to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in just 9 months.
The LAPD Bulls Sentinel eBikes can reach 28 mph, something the company says it developed closely with the LAPD over those 9 months. During that time, Bulls was able to tweak its Sentinel platform to accommodate the LAPD’s specific needs.
As to how they will be used, the LAPD RFP specified the need to improve its urban law enforcement and patrol division department.
Today, this gives the LAPD the largest e-bike fleet in the US.
According to Adam Anderson, Assistant Manager of Sales and Marketing at Bulls, the 20 LAPD Bulls Sentinel eBikes were designed specifically to meet the LAPD’s demands and needs. It went through rigorous testing, revisions, and finalizations in the field. In the end, the LAPD redesigned a great e-bike we’d love to see closer with the following features:
- Pedal assist with speed up to 28 mph
- Bosch Performance Speed motor
- Aluminum frame re-designed for easy mounting and dismounting when carrying police gear
- Brake cables routed externally for easy and fast service maintenance
- 180 x 200mm Magura hydraulic rotor discs for aggressive braking
- Schwalbe Super Moto tires that ensure a smooth ride and stronger puncture protection
- Rock Shox Pike heavy duty front suspension for better handling on urban scenarios like pedaling up and downhill
- Black color for stealthy operations
Adam told CleanTechnica: “BULLS is thrilled to partner with LAPD as they seek to even better serve and protect the community. We believe these ebikes will help make officers and the community safer. Experience show officers are more accessible to the community on bikes and when officers are more accessible, the community trusts them more and greater cooperation occurs between police and citizens. Officers are also able to respond more quickly to ebikes than traditional bikes and often even faster than patrol cars in heavy traffic. Officers also arrive at calls fresh because they haven’t exhausted themselves en route.”
How EVs Can Help Law Enforcement
2013 highlighted the limits of EVs for law enforcement for me. Law enforcement vehicles need to stay put sometimes for hours with lights flashing, a big drain on any battery pack. I remember the head of the Long Beach Police Department’s motorcycles division coming back from a Zero Motorcycles ride I asked him to take and film. He was smiling ear to ear and saying he could finally ride on this all day without the brutal and constant opposing piston engine firing below, buzzing all day long. He also smiled wryly and said he could finally creep up on criminals … quietly.
So, Long Beach, how can we help your Bike Police Division to get on those fast e-bikes?.
For more fun, check out the excellent electric bike review video below.
Related:
FLAUNT Electric Bicycles Join The eBike Revolution
UPS Deploys eBike (er … eTrike) Delivery Vehicle In Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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