Dyno Nobel Donates New Bike to Police

A generous donation from a local business will help Simsbury Police stay on the roads, but not in patrol cars- on bikes.

On Thursday, industrial explosives manufacturer donated a new police bicycle to the . Lieutenant Nicholas Boulter said the bike will help the department update an aging fleet of bicycles that need replacement.

"We were able to replace two bikes last year but most of the fleet is about 10-years-old," Boulter said.

The new bike is larger and more suited to taller police officers making it safer for them to ride.

Dyno Nobel Plant Engineering Manager Richard Higley presented the bike to Town First Selectman Mary Glassman, Police Commissioner Michael T. Long, Chief Peter N. Ingvertsen and his staff at a Dyno Nobel employee meeting, according to a statement.

"It was very thoughtful of Dyno Nobel to ask if they could help out with the purchase of a new bicycle," Boulter said.

The department has numerous certified bicycle members who use the bikes to patrol parks and recreational areas, the central section of town, schools, special events and the 7 miles of the Farmington Valley Greenway.

Boulter said the ability to maintain a police presence in the community on bicycles versus patrol cars is an important initiative for the department to not only set an example for other riders and provide safety on the town's bike trails but also to establish a different relationship between police and residents.

"It makes it easier to reach out to the community, and vice versa," Boulter said. "It breaks down the barriers between police and the general population."