In mid 1993, four officers with the Alvin Police Department took their first bicycle rides as adults.  On borrowed department store bikes, the four ventured into the wooded trails inside Galveston County’s Jack Brooks Park.  Of all the off-road trails they could find, they unwittingly decided to learn to mountain bike on one of the few “expert-rated” trails in southeast Texas. 

After six months or so of riding in the school of hard knocks, the idea was hatched of starting a police bike patrol unit.  There was only one other known police department in southeast Texas that had a bike patrol.  Officers made a call to the Houston Police Department’s bike patrol and started asking questions.  Little did the officers suspect that these phone calls would start a relationship that has spanned almost ten years and fostered a close-working relationship and teaching partnership. 

Due to budget constraints, the officers had to go outside of the department for funding.  After several news releases, a phone call was received from Mr. Wally Raybun, then owner and operator of Froberg’s Funeral Home.  Mr. Raybun purchased the first bicycle at a cost of $800.00.  This included a $650 bicycle and $150 worth of equipment.  After Mr. Raybun’s initial purchase, the other three bikes came within months. (Thanks again, Wally!) 

Once the unit was utilized to patrol the grounds of National Oak Park for Kiwanis’ Crawfest, the request for their presence grew.  Escorts and patrols of festival grounds were the order of the day, but not exactly what the bike patrol officers had in mind when they started the unit.  Yet the unit grew to six bike patrol officers as donations for bikes and equipment continued to come in. 

The Bike Patrol Unit has now grown to twelve officers, including one fulltime coordinator, two patrol sergeants, three patrol corporals, and seven patrol officers.  The unit not only trains and certifies its own officers now, but it also trains officers from other agencies with I.P.M.B.A.’s Police Cyclist Course.  

As well as a vaunted training program, the Bike Patrol Unit has two other successful programs.  This past year the Blue Santa Program raised funds and delivered almost one hundred brand new bikes and helmets to area children while the Unit’s Bike Safety Education Program has provided bicycle and personal safety education to hundreds of third graders in the Alvin Independent School District. 

After almost a decade, the bike patrol is still growing stronger.  We feel we not only serve and protect our community, but we are actually a part of it.

The International Police Mountain Bike Association’s
POLICE CYCLISTS COURSE

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1500 South Gordon  Alvin Texas 77511