Clark Street in Lincoln Park

Clark Street residents and business owners donate bicycles to the Chicago Police Department

Members of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) received a special gift courtesy of the Clark Street Special Service Area (SSA) #23 recently. Along with the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, the SSA donated 18 specially-outfitted mountain bikes to the CPD, in an effort to improve safety along the busy commercial corridor.

The Chicago police's Central Command Group estimates the department already uses about 500 bikes and saId that the new ones, which should hit the streets in a couple of weeks, will provide a welcome upgrade to officers already patrolling on two wheels.
 

The bicycles will go to officers in the 18^th, 19^th and 23^rd districts. Police in attendance to receive the bikes said they will help them to be more visible and accessible to the public, and certainly more mobile.

Clark Street SSA Director Bruce Longanecker Sr. of Lincoln Park Market said many business owners were looking for ways to improve safety along the Lincoln Park’s Clark Street corridor.

Cmdr. Ken Angarone says members of the community have no problem speaking to an officer riding by on a bike. Sometimes the police will get information on a crime trend or something that's going on that they weren't aware of.

The donation values $25,000.