POST FALLS - The newest tool to fight crime in Post Falls is an old standby to get around.

Police have launched a bicycle patrol program with a different twist than such programs in many other cities.

While many police bike programs focus on downtown areas and city parks during busy times, Post Falls' bikes are attached to the patrol cars and are also used in neighborhoods and at night.

"It's a stealth way to patrol neighborhoods," said Post Falls police Chief Scot Haug. "A bicycle is less obtrusive and more low-key than a patrol car."

Haug said that while Post Falls still has a low crime rate compared to most cities, crimes against property, including thefts, burglaries and vandalism, increased in the River City from 1,083 reports two years ago to 1,333 last year for a 23 percent jump.

"Hopefully this bike patrol will drop that number down," Haug said.

The agency purchased two mountain bikes equipped with special shocks, sirens, lights and bags to store equipment at $1,000 each. Three officers and a sergeant will be involved in the pilot program to start. They received 40 hours of free training from Coeur d'Alene Police, which also had a bike program.

The officers will detach the bikes from their patrol cars as time permits to cruise through all areas of the city both night and day.

Haug said he became interested in the program after visiting with police from Leesburg, Va., when he attended a police chiefs meeting.

"This will get officers into the neighborhoods and talking with the residents more about what's happening," he said. "It's about the community policing philosophy to reduce crime and will allow officers to get to areas they may not otherwise be able to such as trails and parks."

Haug said officers should be able to see and hear more activity from a bike. He said it's also a way to improve employee wellness, which has been a focus at some businesses and agencies.

Post Falls had a bike patrol program in the early 1990s, but the program dwindled.

"Post Falls is so wide and we didn't have the staffing, so it wasn't effective," he said. "With the layout of Post Falls, a traditional bike patrol program has not been effective. But when I learned about attaching the bikes to the cars, I thought it was a good idea. The concept of blending the cars and bikes together makes sense for us."

Haug said the program, which will continue as weather permits, will be evaluated later this year to see how effective it was. He said there will always still be some officers in patrol cars on the streets.

Officers on bikes will don biking gear, but will still be armed and have body equipment, citation books and radios.

"They'll have everything they need to do their jobs," he said.

Officers have been using the bikes for two weeks and the equipment was showed to the City Council on Tuesday night.

"We've heard a lot of positive comments from people who like to see the officers ride by their house," Haug said.

Non-emergency fireworks

complaint? Avoid using 911

Police agencies ask residents who have a complaint of someone using illegal fireworks or other non-emergency fireworks concerns to call the main number of their local law enforcement agency and not call 911. Area law enforcement officials say there have been some cases in which residents call 911 for such incidents and that number should be reserved for emergencies only.