The Los Angeles Police Department's Bicycle Coordination Unit has said that initial testing and evaluation of IZIP Express Police bicycles have been completed with favorable results. The department has decided to begin field-testing the electric bicycles at special events to further explore their viability under actual patrol conditions.
In May of 2010, Currie Technologies, the producer of the IZIP Express, supplied the LAPD Bicycle Coordination Unit with prototype models for initial testing. With input and feedback from officers, the electric bike's components and design were further modified to ultimately become a special, purpose built, police edition model that could be added to LAPD's arsenal of community policing tools.
On Wednesday May 11 at 9:30 a.m., Larry Pizzi, Currie's president, will present two IZIP Express Police Edition electric bicycles (pictured) to LAPD Deputy Chief, Terry S. Hara and Sergeant Matthew Bygum, Officer in Charge of the LAPD Bicycle Coordination Unit. The formal presentation will be made at the Company's IZIP Store, which is located at 609 Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, Los Angeles, California.
"We are honored to have the opportunity to support the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles with their embrace of light electric vehicles, recognizing their duty of care to the environment as well as the citizens of Los Angeles," Pizzi said.