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Bike Rodeo Round-Up.

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody R. Miller
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 325th Security Forces Squadron Community Police hosted a children's bicycle rodeo at Balfour Beatty Community Center here June 27.

The bicycle rodeo was intended to allow the children that were family members of Tyndall personnel to interact with the base police in a positive manner, as well as teach them proper bicycle precautions.

The event is held every year and is led by the Community Police who teach the children bike conduct such as proper helmet wear, riding a bicycle that fits your size, hand and arm signals and the basic ABC's of bicycling.  The police taught the kids how to check a tire's air pressure, test if their brakes were working at maximum efficiency and whether their chain was properly attached to the bicycle.  The police hold these classes to keep bike riders informed and up-to-date on the rules of the road and to ensure that each child has a properly fitted helmet to keep them safe from injury.

The rodeo also had an obstacle course that featured various difficulty levels tailored to each of the age groups of children.  The obstacle course taught kids how to maneuver through different circumstances they may encounter on the road.  There was a lot of interaction between children and police as they walked each child through the course.  Many of the parents that came to supervise their children had positive comments on the police officer's demeanor with the children.

"I like how they know all the names of the kids," said parent Jamie Owens.  "The hand signals will come in handy too."

The bike rodeo ended with a raffle that gave away 25 bikes that were paid for by donations from local organizations such as the Tyndall Officer's Spouse Club, Tyndall Federal Credit Union, the 325th Force Support Squadron Sexual Assault Resource Center and the 325th First Sergeant Group here.  The raffle gave children a chance to win a free bike that fit their size.  It also gave base police a chance to improve relations with the families they are sworn to protect.

"We are able to connect with the community better this way," said Senior Airman Jonah T. Cornwell, a community police officer with the 325 SFS.  "It also gets the kids used to seeing the police in a positive way."