PP&L, Inc. is providing the Lancaster Police Department with one of the latest crime-fighting tools: an electric-powered patrol bicycle.
The bicycle -- sold by Zapworld.com of Sebastopol, Calif. -- is a heavy-duty mountain bike with 24 pedaling gears and a two-speed electric motor. The motor enables a police officer to accelerate quickly with much less physical exertion.
"This donation is a symbol of the partnership between PP&L, Inc. and the communities it serves," said Larry Downing, PP&L, Inc. community development director for the Lancaster area. "We are pleased to help the Lancaster Police Department expand the use of bicycle patrols for public safety."
Downing noted that more than 150 law enforcement agencies across the country are using electric-powered bicycles. Electric bikes are growing in popularity among police departments because they combine the best features of bicycle patrols and gasoline-powered vehicles.
With an electric bicycle, officers can reach the scene of a crime or an emergency faster than they can with conventional bikes, and they are not as tired when they arrive.
As with conventional bikes, the electric bicycle has the advantage of going where police cars cannot. And, unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, the electric bike creates no exhaust emissions to pollute the air.
"We see the use of electric bicycles by police departments as an ideal use of electric-vehicle technology, which PP&L, Inc. has supported over the years," Downing said.
"PP&L has been a partner with Lancaster on economic development, community projects and other needs," said Lancaster Mayor Charlie Smithgall. "This donation of an electric bicycle to our police department will have direct, public-safety benefits for the people of Lancaster."
The electric bicycle will be added to Lancaster's fleet of 12 bicycles for community patrols.
The bicycle was purchased by PP&L, Inc. and the Electric Power Research Institute of Palo Alto, Calif., to demonstrate the benefits of electric-vehicle technology.
PP&L, Inc. also has donated electric-powered bicycles to the police departments of Allentown and Bethlehem.
The electric motor runs for about 20 miles on a single charge, and the recharging cost is just pennies.