SLCPD Bike Squad wins annual NCAAP award
Jan 16, 2023, 4:00 PM
Members of SLCPD Liberty Bike Squad. (Salt Lake City Police Department)
(Salt Lake City Police Department)
SALT LAKE CITY — On Monday, the Salt Lake branch of the NAACP awarded the First Responder Award to the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Liberty Bike Squad.
Led by Sgt. Allen Christensen, the Bike Squad aids several other police divisions. The award recognizes their outstanding community service, actions of valor on or off duty or exemplary law enforcement service.
According to SLCPD, in 2022 alone, the Liberty Bike Squad made 175 felony arrests. The team also seized 11 firearms, recovered 52 occupied stolen vehicles, seized more than $8,000 in asset forfeiture and seized more than 6,550 grams of illegal narcotics.
“While the number of crimes prevented by a recovered gun can’t be measured, anything done to reduce gun violence in our community will have a considerable impact,” SLCPD Lieutenant Jared Gilbert, a Watch Commander for Liberty Division said in a press release.
“I cannot imagine what I would do if I woke up and my car was gone. Everyday tasks like going to the grocery store, going to work, or dropping off kids at school become problematic and burdensome for victims of car theft. The Liberty Bike Squad works to minimize disruption to victims by recovering stolen cars and holding offenders accountable,” Gilbert concluded.
Today, I joined members of our department to honor and recognize our Liberty Bike Squad as they accepted the NAACP First Responder Award.
Congrats!
Our bike squads are instrumental to @slcpd and our community.
Press release: https://t.co/SWK3mmYylD#SLC #SLCPD #SaltLakeCity pic.twitter.com/AJetiSUzPM
— Chief Mike Brown (@ChiefMikeBrown) January 16, 2023
