Reutlingen without a bicycle squad: Why are the police falling by the wayside?

Reutlingen without a bicycle squad: Why are the police falling by the wayside?

In Reutlingen there is dissatisfaction over the absence of a police bicycle squad. An attentive reader asked why his city is forgoing this sensible unit, while cities like Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart can already count on the positive feedback from the population. Experience from Ansbach shows that the presence of a bicycle squad significantly improves the behavior of cyclists and pedestrians, which led the reader to contact the police.

As police spokesman Christian Wörner explains, there is no such unit in Reutlingen, as bicycle squadrons are stationed centrally as separate units. The Reutlingen police headquarters covers an area of ​​3,172 square kilometers and is equipped with just two Pedelecs, which can be used by the department heads as needed. Positive experiences with bicycles have already been gained at major events, but the fundamental decision on the introduction of a permanent bicycle relay is still pending.

Pilot project started in Esslingen

However, there is a ray of hope: From October 1, 2025, a one-year pilot test will start in Esslingen with the introduction of twelve police officers and four Pedelecs. The aim of this project is to increase police presence in public spaces, improve accessibility to hard-to-reach places and additional traffic controls. The results of this experiment will be decisive in determining whether the introduction of bicycle units in Reutlingen and other areas is considered.

Bicycle relays have proven valuable in many cities. They enable faster, more flexible movement than traditional pedestrian crossings and can also better reach narrow streets and difficult-to-access areas. In addition, their visibility increases the awareness of other road users, which helps prevent accidents.

The cities' recipe for success

A successful bicycle relay team, like the one you see in Berlin, was launched there on July 16, 2014. With 20 officers and 20 trekking bikes and 2 pedelecs, the squadron has already achieved significant improvements in traffic. According to reports from authoritative sources, there has been a noticeable reduction in bicycle accidents thanks to regular patrol operations. These successes impressively show that prevention through such units not only increases the safety of cyclists, but can also have a positive influence on general traffic behavior.

The Berlin police bicycle squad, for example, punished over 30,000 administrative offenses in the first three years and had monthly contact with citizens that was more than twice as high as car-based patrols. This can be interpreted as a direct result of the predominant presence of bike police.

In the context of the growing number of Pedelecs and cycling in city centers - 480,000 Pedelecs were sold in Germany in 2014 alone - the role of bicycle relays is becoming increasingly important. With 2.1 million Pedelecs in Germany and a constantly increasing need for better traffic protection, the call for such units is more than justified.

We will be curious to see whether the pilot test in Esslingen creates incentives for a permanent bicycle relay in Reutlingen. A look at the positive reports from other large cities could be the decisive argument in favor of this.

GEA reports that in addition to improving public relations and accessibility, the aspect of traffic safety must also be in the foreground. Experience with bicycle relays shows that through proactive controls and proactive action, they are able to prevent many accidents and raise awareness of traffic rules. Polizeipraxis adds that serving in a bicycle squad can be both demanding and risky, showing that selecting the right officers for such operations is paramount. It is also mentioned that it increases the visibility and recognizability of cyclists, which can be crucial in many traffic situations. Those interested can also find out more about this on Wikipedia and find out more about the success stories of other cities.