Attleboro Police Bring Back Old Fashion Policing with Foot Patrol

The Attleboro Police Department has a new officer doing some old-fashioned police work in the 'Boro. 

With $14,000 from the federal government's Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), the was able to hire a seasonal police officer to walk the beat in downtown Attleboro. 

The officer, retired fire captain Milton "Skip" Knox, was hired to patrol the downtown area Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, when most businesses are open and pedestrians are downtown.

"I subscribe to this theory of policing of trying to expand our effort for more contact directly with the citizens," Acting Police Chief Kyle Heagney said. "It removes the barrier of the cruiser."

Heagney said he'd like to expand on the program by having more officers on foot patrol in the future. For now, Officer Knox will be patrolling the streets until Labor Day. 

Along with the walking beat is the bike patrol beat. 

"This summer, the bikes are out there," Heagney said. "In the last two weeks we have concentrated on different areas including Lee's Pond, Uptown, the west side of and the east side playground."

Unlike the walking beat, the bike patrol is on duty from 4 pm to midnight. 

"The goal is to increase the presence (of police) and reduce the fear of crime," he said. "The greatest thing about foot and bike patrol is their rapid appearance–suspects don’t know they are even there because they walk up on an incident. A patrol vehicle doesn't have stealth, unlike a bike or walking foot patrol officer."

Heagney could not provide any statistics on whether crime in the ares off the City where bike and foot patrol officers are located has decreased.

More than police officers in cruisers, on a bike or walking, citizens are the eyes and ears of the Attleboro Police Department, according to Heagney.

"I would encourage citizens and businesses, if they see drug transaction to contact us so we can respond immediately," he said. "We cannot do it alone and we cannot do our job without them."