Hi bike folks and interested hoodies,
Well it's official. The Albany Police Bike Project has officially launched in its own quiet way. We have received a lot of feedback from people who would like a bike or know someone who needs one. To make it easier for folks who may not be able to attend one single event, it will be an ongoing project. Please contact Janet Parker if you know someone or are interested in a bike and financially cannot afford one. Her cell is: 518-331-1512.
As you may already know, I have been working with the Albany Police Dept Community Outreach Unit (along with Troy Bike Rescue) since the summer to organize bike giveaways of stolen bikes that the APD periodically receives and that they can give away. We finally have reached an agreement about this bike giveaway, who will coordinate it, and how it will work.
After much discussion and reflection it was decided (by the APD) that the bike giveaway would be best served by remaining independent of local bike rescues while still supporting their efforts. Through the generous assistance of Troy Bike Rescue, we've been able to
pull this together so far, and we hope that TBR will continue to remain
a peripheral resource. Albany Bike Rescue is also welcome to join in our efforts and we will support theirs should we have the opportunity to work together in the future.
At this point, we don't have a name for our organization yet. We do have an unofficial storage space in Albany through March. The APD has agreed to deliver the bikes to us, and its up to us to get them repaired, which as you know, requires a lot of hours and usually some parts. Right now I'm on my own and have been fortunate to have several folks come forward from multiple organizations and help work on the bikes we've received so far. Thank you!
Basically, the APD Bike Project (temporary name) works like this: We collect and repair bikes, and identify youth and adults in Albany neighborhoods who are in a financially tight situation and could not otherwise afford a bike. Identifying people is not always easy. Parental sign off is required for minors, and the people who get a bike must show up in person.
The APD will give them a bike, a helmet, register their bike, and share some safety information. They can then remain in contact for future events if the recipients chooses. For example, the APD hosts bike rodeos and rides in the summer to teach kids about safety, plus give them a chance to get their bikes tweaked if a bike mechanic shows up to help. Hopefully some of the kids who have gotten a bike from us will attend a bike rodeo or a bike ride with us in the park.
The goal is of the APD is to share the stolen bikes, and also promote safety in the neighborhoods. The goal is specifically to provide bikes to an underserved population that isn't already working with a bike rescue. Ultimately, I would like to send these same folks who we give bikes to their local bike rescue so that they can help other people who may also be in the same situation, and also learn to repair their own bikes. That would be a really great step forward for the bike community and I hope we can make it happen.
As of yesterday, I have somehow stepped into the role of co-coordinator with Janet Parker and the Community Outreach Unit for this project. Up until now, we were not really clear whether this was to be a long term project and how it would work. We were discussing turning it over to a bike rescue for several months, but ultimately the APD decided that it was not a bike rescue project.
To be clear, the APD Bike Project is governed under the auspices of the APD. It is up to them to decide who gets bikes, and they are making these decisions based on a person's financial situation. We have tried to have set times and places in the past, but it looks like for now we'll be giving away bikes on an as needed, individual basis going forward, rather than all at once. Their hope is that having a bike will improve that person's living situation in some way, by providing needed transportation, or recreation.
I still have about six bikes that need to be repaired, and I expect we'll get another load of 20 or so within a few months. If anyone would like to work with us on this project going forward, please contact Janet Parker (APD) at: 518-331-1512. You can also drop me a line here.
Thank you all who have helped in the past, and will work with us in the future. If you need your own bike repaired, headset adjusted, wheels trued, etc, or you want to learn how to repair bikes, we can help each other. There's lots of work ahead and even if your mechanic skills are not great (yet) they will improve :)
