THE ROVING EYE.

ROLLS-Royce convertibles, Harry Winston diamonds and palatial estates are de rigeur in Beverly Hills, so perhaps it's no surprise that the Beverly Hills police ride bikes made by Mercedes-Benz.

The new weapons against crime were supplied to the police department by Beverly Hills Ltd. Mercedes-Benz, in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz USA, which donated six specially equipped mountain bikes to the department's bike patrol unit.

"We see the donation as a way to give back and say thanks," said Steve Smythe, president of Beverly Hills Ltd. "Living here is a lot like living in a small town. And a great deal of that is due to the effectiveness of the Beverly Hills Police Department."

The bike patrol unit, created six years ago, is made up of three full-time officers and one supervisor. The team is on patrol six days a week in the downtown business area and city parks, where they monitor areas not easily accessed by patrol cars.

The Beverly Hills Police Department's bike patrol unit is one of the first in the world to be outfitted with the Mercedes-Benz All-Terrain mountain bikes, one of four high-tech bike models sold exclusively by Mercedes-Benz retailers, Designed by Mercedes-Benz and California-based AMPResearch Inc., the mountain bikes are made of strong, lightweight aluminum tubing and feature full suspension and disc brakes. They're also equipped with a special police package that includes lights, a siren, an equipment bag on the back, police decals and a distinctive black-and-white paint job.