Cops Can't Afford Gas Prices Either

With gas prices near $4 a gallon, more US police are saving money by peddling around, the AP reports. One cop shop in Bedford, Va., for example, has saved up to 400 gallons of fuel per month by buying just 8 bikes. But the two-wheelers don't come cheap: With crime-stopping features like a silent hub, a police bike runs about $1,100.

"Gas is one of a number of factors that come together in terms of establishing, revitalizing or expanding a unit," one police biking expert said. A North Carolina cop concurred: "Departments are just trying to find more economical ways to patrol," he said. "A lot of departments are starting to realize they're getting a lot of bang for their buck with a bike." (More police stories.)