LAPD Looks to Add Civilian Bike Patrol

The Los Angeles Police Department Devonshire Division plans to start a volunteer bicycle patrol team aimed at reducing crime in the northwest San Fernando Valley, reports the Post-Periodical .

Civilians will work with embedded LAPD bike patrol officers to look for suspicious activity and deter criminals.

"We want the community to feel that they're helping us suppress crime and to assist with crime prevention," LAPD Senior Lead Officer Danny Del Valle said. "They'll be our eyes and ears."

The volunteers will wear matching uniforms and must provide their own bikes. Jesse Fuller of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council's Public Safety and Transportation Committee said the initiative is partly about increasing visibility in the community.