It’s fair to say that no other police service in the UK shares the same policing portfolio as The City of London Police.
Established in 1839, the force is responsible for the safety of everyone in The Square Mile. Its unique remit demands that it performs a dual role, delivering results both locally and on a national basis.
An unrivalled expertise in fraud investigation has led to lead force status for fraud and placed The City of London Police at the forefront of a ground-breaking national drive to deter the fraudsters, who cost the economy an estimated GB pound 30 billion last year.
Providing a people-focused service to its extraordinarily diverse community is at the very heart of The City of London’s policing mission.
Already an innovative force, The City of London Police is always on the look-out for new ideas to assist in its policing duties.
Trialling of an electric bicycle
With this in mind, Sergeant Antony Wolfson (of the PS75 Cycle Squad) approached Wisper at The Cycle Show to explore the trialling of a Wisper electric bicycle.
“Our Cycle Squad uses a variety of specially modified bikes to police The Square Mile, but we wanted to look at what advantages using an ‘e-bike’ could bring to City of London policing,” explained Wolfson.
“We’re extremely grateful to Wisper for making its e-bike available to us, and our experience of it has been extremely positive. The Wisper covers ground more quickly, which allows instant access to areas usually inaccessible by car, such as narrow alleyways and footpaths.”
Wolfson also explained that the extra power of the e-bike allows an officer to move far move quickly, and that it definitely fits with the force’s key objective of cutting crime in The Square Mile.”
Perfect for traffic-congested areas
Wisper electric bicycles allow the rider to travel further at a quicker pace, so they’re perfect for traffic-congested areas.
Several UK police forces already use Wisper cycles as response mechanisms for community policing and for safeguarding high profile events, such as the Open Golf Championship.
“Our bikes are used by forces as diverse as Dundee, Surrey and North Wales,” commented David Miall, director at Wisper. “We’re proud to have been chosen to work with UK police forces, as this is a direct reflection and confirmation of the quality, strength and durability of our e-bikes.”
e-bikes are legally classified as bicycles provided they have motors of 250 Watts or less and a top-assisted speed not exceeding 15.5 mph.
They look similar to ordinary bicycles, but incorporate a rechargeable battery, an electric motor and a control system, while the level of assistance is directly proportional to the amount of pressure applied to the pedals.
These features allow the deployment of Wisper e-bikes in community policing scenarios in a number of effective ways.
The added boost of an electric motor enables the rider to respond and cycle at speed when necessary, even in hilly terrain. At the other end of the spectrum, police officers can carefully weave through busy pedestrianised areas, providing a highly visible and approachable police presence.
The Wisper 906xc’s technical spec
The model trialled by The City of London Police – the Wisper 906xc Tourer – is light yet robust and built to withstand the toughest terrain.
To achieve this superior performance, the Wisper 906xc Tourer features a lightweight carbon matrix frame for strength and stability coupled with premium components (such as the Shimano 8-hub gears, a super-efficient lightweight motor and refined on-board electronics).
According to the manufacturer, the Wisper 906xc Tourer really is “the last word in electric bike excellence”.
For more information on Wisper’s range contact Douglas Lawson on (telephone) 01590 681553 or visit the website (a dedicated link is provided on the right hand panel of this page)
