Guarding the Golden Gate- How the CHP’s response to 9/11 gave rise to a new kind of patrol
Patrolman X was riding his motorcycle across the Golden Gate Bridge recently when he saw a California Highway Patrol officer weaving a bicycle through throngs of pedestrians on the east sidewalk. Bicycle? Did Ponch and John ride bicycles? As it turns out, the bicycle patrol was started as a counterterrorism effort. They never caught a terrorist, but they’ve saved scores of lives nonetheless.
As most of us know, the September 11, 2001 attacks turned the concept of homeland security on its head. The term existed before then, but not for most of us. The attacks made everyone in the public safety sector reevaluate their role in protecting U.S. soil from terrorism, and the CHP was no exception. The Marin County CHP’s Bicycle Patrol Unit, or BPU, was already a plan on the table, but no one thought the plan was needed. After 9/11, it only took a few weeks to buy the bikes, strap on lights and sirens, and train the riders to start pedaling the sidewalks. Their mission: protect the iconic Golden Gate Bridge from terrorist attack.
About now you are asking, “What good are bicycles? They slammed jetliners into buildings!” And it’s easy for us to feel that way today. But late 2001 was a very different time. The nation was terrified, but also resolved not to be. Everyone was doing what they could, and the BPU was one way to show the public that the CHP had their backs. It wasn’t the only way. Several Bay Area bridges had National Guard Humvees parked alongside Highway Patrol black-and-whites, standing vigil over the spans. Every law enforcement and domestic security agency in the country was leveraging their resources to make people feel safer from a new threat.
But after the dust settled and the National Guard had gone home, the Golden Gate Bridge BPU remained. Why? Because they had pivoted their resources to fight a new kind of terror- the personal terror of people who felt they had nothing left to live for.
Though the bike patrol is by no means the only way the CHP deals with suicide prevention on the bridge- car and motor (cycle) cops do as well- the “up-close-and-personal” bicycle officer is truly the frontline.
Currently, that line is led by CHP Sergeant Ross Ingels. Ross has been with the BPU since it started, and he is now its supervisor. A Marin County native who married his high school sweetheart, is raising two daughters, and attends family barbecues with a brother who works on the San Rafael Police Department, Ross is vested in his community. And he loves bikes! The guy has five personal bicycles, one of which he rides to work at 4:30 in the morning. He is also a regular “Century” (100 mile) rider, who rides in the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Police Unity Tour in Washington, D.C., every year.
Patrolman X stopped by the Marin Area of the CHP to interview Ross. The first thing he did was swing by the motor sergeant’s desk to get some intel on this strange breed of two-wheeled cop. When asked to describe Ross in two words, the sergeant kicked his riding boots onto his desk, chuckled to himself, and replied, “Spun up.”
He meant it in a good way. Ross is intense like a Belgian Malinois- ready to work and too smart for his own good. Come to think of it, he has eyes like a Malinois. They look you in the face, but are watching everything you do… daring you to make a move. Again, the dude’s intense.
Anyway, after arguing the merits of a clutch and throttle over pedal power, Patrolman X interviewed Ross about what he did for the CHP:
Patrolman X: What kind of bikes does the BPU ride and how far do they ride in a day?
Ross Ingels: Specialized Rock Hopper 21-speeds. We ride about 20–30 miles.
PX: What was their original homeland security mission?
RI: We were making people feel comfortable. We didn’t know what we were looking for, just whatever was out of the ordinary. No different than what we do now.
PX: Were people a little twitchy after 9/11? Did you get odd calls?
RI: Yeah, I remember a phone book fell off a phone booth. It had a cover on it and a metal cable hanging down. I knew what it was, but people thought it might be a bomb. That was the mentality at the time.
PX: How did our mission change from counterterrorism to something else?
RI: We transitioned to suicide prevention. We quickly realized that people were in crisis more than anything terrorism related. It happened organically. One of my beat partners saw a guy sitting by the south tower. When he started talking to the guy, a tourist distracted him, and the guy jumped. The same thing happened to me a week later. We then sought out additional training and started reaching out to those people.
PX: What kind of training?
RI: All the BPU have 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Technique training. It’s where law enforcement is going.
PX: Do you think the Marin officers are better at crisis intervention than other CHP officers?
RI: I’d bet money on it. Experience is invaluable. I’d put the BPU up against anybody when it comes to crisis intervention.
PX: Do you think your team’s skills detect or deter terrorism?
RI: I do. My officers spend so many hours down there; they really become acute to the things that stand out. If anyone is contemplating crime or suicide, it is a deterrent.
PX: Who else do your work with on the bridge?
RI: We work closely with the Golden Gate Bridge District and the U.S. Coast Guard. It’s a collaborative effort.
PX: What was your most rewarding moment on the BPU?
RI: I had a guy that was over the rail that I talked to for 45–50 minutes. He sent a poem book where every poem was a thank you note. The people you know that you connected with but then never came back again are the ones that are most rewarding.
PX: Nice. Ever hang glide like on CHiPs?
RI: No. Bike riding is just as cool.
PX: Cooler than motors?
RI: No, motors are cooler.
PX: Can I quote you on that?
RI: I grew up on CHiPs and I DVR it everyday. Motors are cool.
Coming from a cool cat like Ross, Patrolman X considered this a personal victory and ended the interview. As he rode off on his motorcycle, he felt grateful for it’s thundering motor. Patrolman X doesn’t pedal, but he was glad to know heroes like Ross and his bike team did…
Until next time, Home Sweet Homeland readers, this is Patrolman X going 10–10, “Out of service.”
Interested in a career with the CHP? Take a look at their recruitment page.
(Hang gliding opportunities not guaranteed.)
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