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. In concert 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 that the department already uses about 500 bikes and saId that the new ones, which have already made their debut on Clark Street, are a welcome upgrade to officers already patrolling on two wheels.
 

The bicycles assist officers in the 18^th, 19^th and 23^rd districts. Police in attendance at the event noted that the bicycles help them to be more visible, more accessible to the public, and certainly more mobile.

Clark Street SSA Director Bruce Longanecker Sr. of Lincoln Park Market indicated that many business owners are interested in finding ways to improve safety along the Lincoln Park’s Clark Street corridor and that the bicycles will truly help in this effort.

Cmdr. Ken Angarone notes that members of the community seem to be very comfortable speaking to an officer riding by on a bike. In fact, sometimes the police will get information on a crime trend or about something that's happening of which they were previously unaware.

The donation is valued at $25,000.