Moon Township police set to bring back mountain bike unit after 20-year hiatus
The Moon Township Police Department is getting ready to bring back its mountain bike unit after 20 years, so officers can keep people safe along the Montour Trail.
Sandi Veze of Hopewell Township runs along the Montour Trail with her dog almost every day, and sometimes her husband, Chris, joins them.
"I love it out here. It's quiet, it's peaceful, the people, everyone says 'hello,'" Sandi said.
She's never felt uncomfortable or unsafe along the path, even after last fall's fatal stabbing of Ben Brallier, an off-duty Liquor Control Enforcement agent with the Pennsylvania State Police who was out for a run along the trail when he was killed.
"My friends were like, 'Aren't you afraid to run there?' I'm like no," Sandi said.
A man, who said he was homeless, has since been arrested and charged with the death of Brallier. But before then, Moon Township Police Lt. Shener Ulke said the department was looking to resurrect the mountain bike program to increase its visibility on the trail.
"It just really unfortunately became underfunded, and then unfunded, and people lost interest in it," Ulke said.
Ulke said currently, to get a car on the trail, officers have to use a key to unlock a gate, and they're limited in distance. A bike is much more practical.
"The mountain bikes make our officers super accessible, really approachable," Ulke said.
The department intends to have three officers certified by July 4 and, eventually, have six officers patrolling the trail and Moon Park either during the first or second half of their shifts.
It will be easier to respond to emergencies, like medical episodes, and will also increase community policing.
"Stopping and saying hi, helping kids out when they get flat tires or if they get bumps and bruises," Ulke said.
The hope is that the unit benefits both the officers and community members alike.
"It's for public safety and a deterrence," Chris said.
"It does add a little level of comfort there, for sure," Sandi said.
The Montour Trail runs through several municipalities. The Findlay Township Police Department told KDKA it has had a bike patrol program since the 1990s, and currently, more than 10 officers are certified.
The North Fayette Police Department also confirmed to KDKA that it has a bike unit that patrols the trail as well.
