#seethecyclist: Police officers to join club rides as part of Northern Ireland close pass operation

Following a successful pilot in Belfast, police are to roll out a close pass operation across Northern Ireland as part of the service’s ongoing #Seethecyclist campaign. As part of the operation, plain clothes officers will be going out on local club rides with radios and cameras.

According to a post on Facebook by PSNI Belfast, plain clothes officers will be riding “all over Belfast and beyond”. Uniformed police will not be visibly present, but will be shadowing the cycling officer at a distance on patrol motorcycles and in cars.

Cyclist killed in Northern Ireland after driver crashes into club ride

The campaign asks drivers to allow at least 1.5m when passing cyclists and other vulnerable road users. The post states: “At the moment this is mainly educational but should [a close pass] be deemed serious enough we will deal with it robustly.”

The campaign also revolves around prominent use of a distinctive camera logo on cycle kit to warn motorists that they may be being filmed.

Ignore the coffee.. Look what we have! #seethecyclist
In Belfast city centre at the moment..  pic.twitter.com/JL6lXF9yrC

— PSNI Belfast CC (@PSNIBelfast) July 19, 2017

Local clubs will be adding the logo to their jerseys and versions will also be available from the clubs as well as at police roadshows at cycling events.

Any clubs who want to provide the logos for their members will need to speak to officers at Musgrave Police Station in Belfast city centre.

As part of the @PoliceServiceNI #seethecyclist campaign we have invested in some of these great cameras for our members. #sharetheroad pic.twitter.com/N2bJPzTEOA

— Portadown CC (@portadown_cc) July 17, 2017