Goleta Purchases New Electric Bike for Community Resource Deputy
By the City of Goleta
Goleta’s Community Resource Deputy (CRD) Ehren Rauch has a brand-new motor-assisted bicycle, or e-bike. The City purchased the e-bike for CRD Rauch to help enhance his patrol efforts in the City of Goleta.
CRD Rauch came up with the idea to purchase an e-bike, “We had a standard manual powered bike, but it was very outdated and in need of repair.” The new e-bike was chosen for its large tires and ability to go off-road on trails and the beach, locations that a cruiser normally would be unable to easily access.”
CRD Rauch said, “I am very excited to be out in the community on an e-bike. This allows me to provide outreach and enforcement in places that are typically not patrolled by a deputy in a car.” The new e-bike will assist with patrols on the Ellwood Bluffs, Lake Los Carneros, railroad tracks, city parks, Old Town, and large events such as the Lemon Festival or parades.
The e-bike, costing approximately $4,000, is more nimble than your typical police cruiser and requires less man-power than a regular pedal-powered bike. It came equipped with several accessories and features including: center drive motor, installed red-and-blue lights, siren package, storage bag with police markings on the side, a range of 50 miles and can travel at speeds up to almost 30 miles per hour.
“I have already had several positive interactions with the public on the e-bike and look forward to having many more,” said CRD Rauch.
Community Resource Deputy Ehren Rauch with the new e-bike in front of City Hall
5 Comments
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Feb 06, 2023 01:14 PMGawd what nonsense. To claim that the present bicycle was "very outdated" is absurd. It is probably no more outdated than decades of pedal driven bikes. What is going on here is that the cops want nicer toys to play with. They should just own up to this, not try to rationalize it. "We bought a new electric bike for our cop because we think it is more effective."
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Feb 06, 2023 03:39 PMI really miss seeing "Robert Casey" / Bob SBPD on his "Analog bicycle" Downtown SB. What a great person, on his days off riding his road bike to keep in shape (actually I think it was more for the enjoyment of the ride). I remember riding with him for a bit on the "Solvang loop", he always would give me "Grief" when he noticed me downtown SB (being the friendly person he was on the beat). We had a rather great conversations as to the goings on in SB. He had those lights and sirens back then, & those bikes were really heavy. Nowadays they're nowhere's to be seen? Last I hear he was pulled out of retirement in 2010 to "Help out".
https://www.independent.com/2009/07/30/downtown-organization-helps-fund-part-time-cop/
just missing people like Robert/Bob doing the good thing.
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Feb 07, 2023 12:18 AM1:14PM. Not nonsense. Here are the parts about "effectiveness" you missed ...
"The e-bike ... is more nimble than your typical police cruiser and requires less man-power than a regular pedal-powered bike. It ... has a range of 50 miles and can travel at speeds up to almost 30 miles per hour."
Speaking of being outdated ... have you checked out how many 26" tires are available on the market now? Hardly any at all. Conventional police bikes are basically mountain bikes and that genre has gone through huge changes in standards in the past 5+ years. Wheel/tire sizes, gear trains, post and bar diameters, hub spacing, bottom bracket standards ... it's difficult to get replacement parts for older mountain/police bikes now.
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Feb 06, 2023 01:32 PM@1:14 - Thank God edhat finally posted something today for you to bitch about. Now you can go back to bed.
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Feb 06, 2023 02:06 PMIMO there is no comparison to a deputy in a patrol car versus a bicycle, electric or otherwise. In CA, I understand a bicycle and an e-bike are (not) defined as a "vehicle" although the rider is subject to the vehicle code. If this is accurate, what authorizes red-blue lights and siren on the e-bike as it is not an "emergency vehicle" per CA VC 165. My concern is people are not use to red-blue lights and sirens on an any bike and how they might react if seen on the road. This could place the deputy and others in jeopardy and subject to injury.