Yorktown police officers will be hitting the streets on two wheels this summer.
For the first time, the Yorktown Police Department has launched a new Bicycle Unit that will patrol the town's business district and community events, expanding the department's community policing and public safety efforts.
The initiative was spearheaded by recently retired Police Chief Robert Noble, building on a concept first developed in 2023 by Officer Tiffany Charles and Sgt. Chad Delgado. Since then, the department has secured four bicycles donated by neighboring police agencies, purchased two electric bicycles from Yorktown Cycles, developed policies for the unit, equipped officers with specialized uniforms and gear, and completed bicycle patrol certification. The fleet now consists of four bicycles and two e-bikes, with lettering provided by Signs Ink.
Chief Justin Foley told Yorktown News that both he and Noble "carry the same vision of community policing being a priority" throughout Yorktown.
“Our outstanding men and women in the Patrol Division are the backbone of this department and have dozens of positive community interactions a shift,” Foley said. “The Bicycle Unit is another tool to accomplish that mission.”
The Bicycle Unit includes Officers Charles and Joyce Pagliuca under the supervision of Sgt. Delgado. Foley said these officers have long been involved in community outreach and have completed annual 250-mile fundraising bicycle rides from Ground Zero to Washington, D.C., honoring fallen officers and their survivors.
“This unit will focus on community policing—engaging with our residents and those visiting, checking in with store owners and building relationships,” Foley said. “They will be able to answer calls for service in the immediate area, address quality-of-life issues such as parking complaints and the uptick in e-bike complaints.”
Foley said the Bicycle Unit will build on the department's community policing efforts by fostering positive interactions with young people, similar to the work of the department's School Resource Officers in the Lakeland and Yorktown school districts. He added that officers are also expected to be deployed to community events throughout the town as the program expands.
“Having a partnership with those in our community, from its residents, businesses, schools, religious institutions and our children, is invaluable,” Foley said.
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