DEPUTIES PATROL BY PEDAL TO KEEP T.O. STREETS SAFE.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Ever since deputies Joe Galante and Kevin Donoghue traded in their black-and-white patrol cars for a pair of mountain bikes last year, patrolling the streets of Thousand Oaks has required a heck of a lot more muscle.

Maneuvering over steep hills and through heavy traffic alike, the Thousand Oaks Police Department counts on the two men - the only full-time members of the department's Bike Patrol Unit - when it comes to trekking the rougher terrain in and around the city.

From helping out on foot pursuits to tracking down suspects in commercial burglaries or incidents of fraud, the extra legwork seems to be paying off.

Since starting up the bicycle unit last November, the dynamic duo of Galante and Donoghue has made more than 1,300 investigative stops and more than 150 misdemeanor and felony arrests.

``The major advantage is that the bikes really put us out there in the middle of the community. If a suspect is running, we can follow right in his footsteps. And if the public wants to stop us and talk to us, we're a little more accessible than waving down a black-and-white,'' said Galante, a Thousand Oaks resident and the first bicycle patrol deputy selected when the department initiated a part-time pilot program three years ago.

Following in the footsteps of Seattle's pilot program begun more than a decade ago, the Thousand Oaks Police Department started up the part-time bike patrol section as an extension of the department's gang unit. Except for major holidays and special events, however, hours fluctuated with no regular shifts designated for the bike patrol.

Last year, however, area merchants concerned about commercial thefts and transients sleeping in storefronts at night started pushing for an expanded bike patrol unit that could better serve their own needs. About 20 local business owners managed to raise more than $2,000 to purchase the unit's first two new bicycles.

In September, the city approved funding for two full-time bike patrol officers. Galante and Donoghue were selected, and six additional officers were trained to work special events or to relieve one of the two full-time deputies.

In just 13 months, the team has already earned recognition and praise among merchants and residents alike in assisting with public safety issues through community policing.

``The bikes allow them to really get into the community and to get into some of the areas not easily accessible by car or even by foot,'' said Dennis Carlson, owner of Carlson Storage on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, who helped put together the original fund-raising effort.

And support among the business community continues. Last week, Los Robles Bank and the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks donated three additional bikes to the unit to support the unit's work in patrolling commercial areas.

Based at the Police Resource Center in a pocket of The Oaks mall, Galante and Donoghue regularly work late-afternoon and evening shifts. Dressed in black jackets, dark shorts and tennis shoes - and usually wearing white bike helmets distinctly marked with the word ``Police'' - the two deputies peddle their 30-pound bikes about town with an eye out for trouble.

On Thursday, the team tracked down three women who had been shopping in a local department store and were suspected of trying to smuggle out hundreds of dollars of merchandise in their children's strollers.

Another major advantage, he added, is the ability to stealthily track suspects who usually do not expect to encounter police officers on bicycles.

``We give up some distance mobility, but we can get over barriers, and we can use all of our senses - hearing, sight, smell - when we're out,'' said Donoghue, an avid mountain biker for nearly 10 years.

Last week, the partners pursued a man fleeing police on foot through Conejo Creek. On their bikes, the deputies were able to track down and arrest the man for drug possession.

``These two deputies are so dedicated to their work. I've seen them work cheerfully but also firmly with the public,'' said Dan Williford, a Thousand Oaks businessman and resident who volunteers afternoons at the Police Resource Center to assist the bike patrol officers. ``They are nice and diplomatic, but like all police officers they are no-nonsense.''

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PHOTO (color) Sheriff's Deputies Kevin Donoghue, left, and Joe Galante have traded patrol cars for bikes as they combat crime in T.O.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News