Farmington Officer Part of Mountain Bike Training

The number of officers in downtown Collinsville Tuesday afternoon easily outnumbered the entire Canton police force.

And the presence of the some 25 officers on mountain bikes, including one from Farmington, definitely turned a few heads.

The officers were part of a 5-day Hartford Police Department run International Police Mountain Bike Association training class.  And Wednesday’s training included a rules of the road ride that started in Hartford and went through several towns, including portions of West Hartford, Farmington and Simsbury before arriving at LaSalle Market in Collinsville for lunch.

Then it was back to Hartford.

Most of the riders are Hartford officers but Central Connecticut State University and Farmington were represented as well, said Hartford Sgt. James Elliott, who leads the training.

Farmington officer Kevin Naranjo said the ride was definitely tiring but said the training is very helpful.  

“It’s a great course – very in depth,” he said.

Several officers in Farmington have bikes on the back of their vehicles and bike patrols are used in areas like Westfarms and the Farmington Canal Heritage and Farmington River trails.

He said bike patrols not only allow officers to stay in shape and patrol tight quarters but are also a good way to interact with residents and business owners.

“It’s a good community tool,” he said.

Helping with the class is Shawn Hurley, an officer with the Metropolitan District Commission.

He took the training in 1996 and said he loves patrolling by bike.

“It’s the best duty you can possibly have,” he said.