The following article and photograph was originaly published in the Summer 2006 edition of Iowa Law Enfocement Magazine a publication of the Iowa Association of Chiefs of Police. The article and written by Mark Edmund of the Iowa Law Enforcement Acadamy.

Marshalltown P.D. hosting Event

3rd Annual Iowa Bicycle Patrol Officer Conference and Competition on September 13

Several Iowa bicycle patrol officers gathered on September 15th & 16th (2005) for the Second Annual Iowa Police Bicycle Officers Conference and Competition hosted by the West Des Moines Police Department.  It was an opportunity for bike officer and instructors to come together for a skill refresher and networking with fellow officers.  Joe Weeg, Polk County Attorney’s Office started the conference with a presentation on the importance of physical fitness and its relationship to officer survival.

The competition consisted of eight events over two days.  The obstacle course was a combination of all the slow speed drills done in the Bicycle Patrol Officer course; first place went to Chris Roush of Marshalltown Police Department.  The hook slide event was of a fun event based as much on luck as it was skill.  Each officer was allowed two attempts to hook slide their bike into a filled water bottle and see how far it would fly; first place went to Jason Schlabaugh of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.  Josh McAlpin of the Cedar Rapids Police Department won the quick start drill.  The longest track stand award and the 1/8th mile backyard pursuit went to Chris Roush of the Marshalltown Police Department.  The best time in the 3.1 mile trail course, the steep hill decent & accent, and the off-road trail all went to Alex Syhlman of the Iowa State University Police.

Jason Schlabaugh of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office took the over all-first place trophy with a score of only twenty points.  Jason only took one event but posted a close second in five other events that netted him the over-all trophy.  Over-all second place went to Chris Roush

Marshalltown Police department on September 13 & 14, 2006 will host the third annual conference and competition.