A Summer Ride with SPD's Bicycle Patrol Unit

When kids spot them, they start screaming and running. A chase usually begins and before you know it, there's a crowd of kids huddled around an area just outside the park.

No, this isn't the ice cream man we're talking about. Skokie youth are chasing down policemen.

The Skokie Police Department Bicycle Patrol Unit might be the most popular group in town come summer time, as officers have a coveted item to give away: Free Slurpee coupons.

To children, these are bleeping golden.

On this summer day, however, police veterans Steven Bush and Mike Hart are out on patrol. The duo was kind enough to let Skokie Patch tag along for the ride.

Trivia for a Slurpee -

The kids in the Skokie area seem to know the rules when it comes to getting a free Slurpee; they have to correctly answer a trivia question issued by one of the officers. The questions vary, from who our fifth president was to simple multiplication. Depending on a child's age, police adjust their questions accordingly.

Some kids, however, want more than one Slurpee coupon.

"Can I have another one for my brother? He's not here. He is at home," one 6-year-old asks.

"What's your brother's name?" asks Hart.

"I don't know .. "

While the two officers are more than generous when it comes to handing out the coupons, they're mainly riding around Skokie to increase police presence.

"People are more likely to approach you if you're on a bicycle than a squad car," said Bush. "We also get to build relationships with youth." 

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