Many bike-riders can be seen on campus, but two stand out from the rest.
These uniformed men participate in the C.O.P.S. (Community Oriented Policing Services) program here at ETSU.
The program lost its original three-year grant this semester, causing public safety to put a hold on planned improvements to the program.
But officers Jay Hamilton and Gary Sparks have been retained and if the budget allows, the department plans to cross train at least two more on-staff officers. This way the program will be able to expand even with the cutbacks.
The officers take a 40-hour course available at Walters State Community College and at through the Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol police departments, which trains officers in bike safety and riding techniques.
The officers are already trained in community policing.
C.O.P.S. began in 1998 as an effort to provide a more direct involvement with the campus community.
“The program has been extremely well received by the community,” said Jack Cotrel, associate director of public safety. “It is an extremely popular concept on campuses and in municipalities.”
ETSU decided to follow the lead of other schools using the C.O.P.S. program and reported a dramatic drop in campus crime.
Cotrel said C.O.P.S. helps people in the community feel comfortable talking to police officers. “It helps the police to become more intimately familiar with the university community,” he said.
The department’s main goal is crime prevention and student awareness. The program is grant funded by the department of justice.
The money was used to buy state-of-the-art mountain bikes and full protective police gear (body armor and helmets). She also paid for special training for the participating officers.
Cotrel said the fact that the university chose to retain the bike patrol officers speaks to the success of the program.
In addition to training two additional officers, Cotrel said the department hopes to come up with new community policing projects.

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