Southern Polytechnic State University has brought another element of safety to its grounds – that of an on-campus bike patrol.

The bike patrol started July 28, with day and evening shifts, according to Gary Chasteen, Southern Polytechnic’s chief of University Police, and was funded through Y2-K allocations. "We were wondering if gasoline wasn’t available, how we would patrol," he said. "We realized, however, just how efficient bike patrol can be on our campus."

The use of mountain bikes on university campuses has become more commonplace these days, according to Chasteen, and offers extra advantages. "It allows officers to be close to the community and pedestrian areas where most people perform day to-day activities. The bikes will be effective in being more accessible to interior locations," said Chasteen.

Two bikes have been acquired and four officers have been equipped thus far. The Trek mountain bikes are designed for possible heavy travel, according to Chasteen, and are durable and designed for riding over various terrain.

"This will be a test to see how well we can supplement our regularly-scheduled patrol car coverage with the bikes. Eventually, officers should be able to patrol the SPSU campus 24 hours a day on bike and in police cars," said Chasteen.

Southern Polytechnic State University is a residential university with approximately 4,000 students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in many of the nation's fastest-growing fields related to engineering and technology. One mile west of 1-75's Exit 112, the university is just 20 minutes northwest of downtown Atlanta, GA.