Would have probably been a good idea. Typically some gutter red-top like the Sun gets hold of it and focuses on the obvious stuff.

My local Cyclecops could do with a book on bike maintenance! Filthly chains, missing spokes......

Anyone who's ever watched an inexperienced adult ride a bike knows that a manual like this - and some basic training - is a damn good idea. The Sun's four-year old can probably program a video recorder too...

I wonder if they'll be allowed to ride through red lights ;)

Hehe our Montreal police could use such a guide too. They make me laugh a lot on their top of the line Rocky Mountain Vertex they can barely handle.

Hehehe damn pigs!

Has anyone sent this article to the Sun:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bike-patrol-officer-killed-on-duty-was-untrained-12579

A 93 page guide is a bit much and unnecessary. But I definitely echo what most have said on here.

Some basic training would go a long way to helping the police on how to maintain and ride their bikes properly. Surely a well maintained bike is going to last a lot longer and cost the tax payer less in the long run in replacing bikes. As well as the individual police officer being able to use the bike to much greater effect. They have training in other vehicle usage i.e motorbikes and cars so why not the bikes that they use as well?

The document has been written as a guide towards, training and equipping officers to a national standard of cycling. This includes, use of the bike in pusuit situations, public order situations, general patrol etc. It also covers uniform issue, standard of bike and maintenence etc.

Currently, training standards offered by constabularies goes from brilliant with forces such as City of London, the Met, N.Yorks, Hants and Thames Valley to non existant with forces close to my location.

Any move to enhancing the use of bike in Policing has to be positive.

As someone who has contibuted to the Police report, i would like to put a few things straight. 1. It is 93 pages long, but that covers everything from Basic riding skills to Public Order tactics/maintenance/uniform etc.

2. If we dont train officers properly, we will get criticised (by the Sun probably) when an officer gets killed for NOT being trained.

3. The Taxpayers Alliance want to se more officers on the street. So by putting more officers on bike and taking them out of cars, wont we be doing that?

4. My organisation (Public Safety Cycling) have been trying to get CTC to listen to us for years, we have invited them to our seminars and training courses, but with no success.

I hope that this clarifes things, and if anyone has any questions about Emergency Services cycling, please feel free to ask.

Okay, so from what people are saying, there are about 6 chapters to this. It will I suppose have an index and intro and some bits and pieces. So the reality is that the actual basic training is only about 8 pages or so - reasonable.

They also seem to have enough sense to ensure that the police use proper kit rather than 'bicycle shaped objects', and that they know how to look after them.

I listened to radio 4 and a guy on there said when he trained Strathclyde he produced a book twice the size - so these guys have done well I'd say.

Can't say I always support the Police Forces stance or view on situations, but, as soon as I read this I had nothing but praise for the inniative, 'thousands of pounds' is hardly a large amount of money to safeguard a persons life, once again the Sun losses view on reality and trivialises on important non newsworthy matters.

Good point (batch78). Interesting that John Humphries carries out his research through 'The Sun' though! God bless you John...pity is was only on the cover hey!

If he'd have looked at Bikeradar he'd realise that people do get killed and have accidents on police bikes and that this seems to have been a well meaning and well researched piece of work.

police drivers have to read roadcraft, cyclists should as well, at the end of the day many people can drive a car doesn't mean they can drive a car at speed. same goes for cyclists, many can ride a bike,but riding safely, possibly under emergency conditions using A/V warnings, or cycling through a crowd takes training and experience.

Met a friend recently in my lbs who's a bike cop. Talking to her they are not even allowed to fix their own punctures due to usual nonsense of health and safety. Oh the joys of bureaucracy.