Yorktown Police Launch New Bike Unit to Strengthen Community Policing

The Yorktown Police Department has launched a new bicycle unit to enhance community policing and promote safe e-bike operation.

A priority for the new unit will be addressing a rise in complaints involving e-bikes, particularly in and around the center of town. Officers on bikes will be able to respond more quickly in areas where cars struggle to reach teens riding through parks, parking lots, and other cut-throughs.

“The main goal of the bicycle unit is continuing the department's mission of community policing,” said Yorktown Police Chief Justion Foley. “We're going to engage with our community stakeholders, our business owners, our residents, people that visit the town of Yorktown, and most importantly, our youth in the Town of Yorktown.”

Two police departments in Westchester County donated four traditional bicycles, and the town invested in additional equipment, including two new e-bikes, specialized training, and new uniforms for the officers.

Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman praised the initiative as a practical response to ongoing issues involving e-bikes and a powerful new tool for public safety and outreach.

“I'm extremely proud to be able to work with the Yorktown Police Department over the last 11 years. We've had a tremendous amount of change, all for the positive,” said Supervisor Lachterman.

Residents can expect to see the bicycle officers at community events including Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, local parades, and other Yorktown gatherings. The officers involved in the unit are already active in charitable rides, including annual events honoring officers killed in the line of duty, traveling by bicycle from Ground Zero to Washington, D.C.

“If you see them out there, go out there, engage them, say hello,” said Chief Foley.