By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
On Monday a different form of police protection hit the trails.
Deputy Kevin Hall, of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Orion Township Substation, mounted his bike for the first full day of mountain bike patrol. He completed 40 hours of training last week, making him the only deputy available for bike patrol duty in Orion.
Deputy Hall will patrol off-road segments of the township, including the Paint Creek and Polly Ann trails, several township parks, safety paths and retail plazas.
The fully marked patrol bike includes emergency lights and sirens in addition to the specialized police uniform and equipment. ?
Bike-patrol will be seasonal, and will enhance the traditional patrol units on a day-to-day basis, without interfering with daily responsibilities. Deputy Hall will carry his patrol bike with a bike rack attached to his patrol car, and will assist injured persons, lost people and other emergencies or crimes in progress in areas where patrol vehicles cannot go.
‘We are not adding an additional deputy or costs, just increasing the capabilities of our recently approved position,? Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said.?
Hall was added to the Orion team in February, as approved by voters in 2012 when they passed the police millage.
The township pays the county $130,888 for each deputy position for their salary, training, insurance, patrol car, equipment and bullets.
The township substation contracts with the county for 27 positions: one lieutenant, one detective sergeant, one patrol sergeant, four patrol investigators and 20 deputies.
Annual cost for Oakland County personnel is about $3.6 million.?