By Victoria Leon Guerrero, The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Aug. 17--Jonathan Lee rode a bike on Monday for the first time in 10 years. Now he will have to ride one almost every day for his job.
Lee and four other Portland Water Bureau security staff members received eight hours of bicycle training Monday on Mount Tabor's old soapbox derby road, just above the city's open reservoirs.
The training will help them start bicycle patrols of the reservoirs and other key facilities in the Portland water system.
'I'm enjoying it,' Lee said, catching his breath during a break in his training.
Using bikes to patrol the reservoirs, which serve about 70 percent of Portland's population, was Lee's idea.
A few months ago, security coordinator David Austin asked Lee to recommend ways the bureau could improve security, and Lee suggested bikes.
'Being on foot anywhere in the Mount Tabor area takes us an hour to get from point A to point B between the three reservoirs,' Lee said. 'On the bikes, it'll take half the time, if not less.'
The bike patrol idea became a part of the Water Bureau's community outreach plan, which aims to improve security around the reservoirs and involve the community in the process.
Other projects include trimming bushes, enhancing lighting, installing more security cameras and planting low bushes where possible to keep people out of the reservoir areas, Austin said.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Portland City Council decided to bury or cover the city's open reservoirs. But after much community opposition -- and a special panel's 8-5 vote in favor of leaving the reservoirs uncovered -- the council decided on July 28 to increase security in the area instead.
The bureau purchased five bikes from Mt. Tabor Sports for just more than $700 apiece. The bikes came with a year of free maintenance at the shop, which is close to Mount Tabor at Southeast 60th Avenue and Division Street.
A Law Enforcement Bicycle Association instructor from the Beaverton Police Department and another Beaverton officer provided free training for the security staff on the use of bikes for slow-speed riding on the mountain.
They learned how to dismount, use their gears, balance and use their emergency brakes. They also learned special skills such as using the bike defensively to block a threat and handling the bike in a crowd.
'This is a good class,' said Kevin McDonald, a Beaverton police officer who assisted with the training. 'They picked things up really quickly and are ready to go out and work.'
Although the security staff members are not police officers, Austin said their presence on the mountain helps deter crime.
'Our mission is to observe, detect and report,' Austin said. 'We don't have law enforcement authority, but all criminal problems are reported to the proper authorities.'
The bikes will allow the staff to conduct a more thorough patrol of the reservoirs because they will be more mobile and in the area more frequently, Lee said.
Austin urged the Mount Tabor community to help with security patrol.
'This is a community effort, and folks who live here, play here and picnic here are the key to the protection of Mount Tabor,' Austin said. 'We want to elicit the help of the citizens.'
He encouraged residents in the area to form a neighborhood watch or a citizen's foot patrol to help watch the reservoirs. 'Call us if you see anything suspicious or out of place.'
Portland Water Bureau's 24-hour security dispatch can be reached at 503-823-6084.
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