Students Receive Bikes From Moorhead Police

Police say they wanted to give back to the community

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Five students at Horizon Middle School got to ride home on bikes that were gifts from Moorhead Police.

“I just always wanted a bike,” Angelo Zeleon, a 6th grader, said.

The Moorhead Police Athletics League took unclaimed bikes donated by the police department, and with the help of Scheels, fixed them up and provided helmets to go with them as well.

“[One] young man just wants to ride to the park instead of walking to the park all the time. So this is a great to get them there and back, and what kid doesn’t want a bike?” Sgt. Scott Kostohryz with Moorhead Police said.

“I can get around places faster and ride bikes with my friends and stuff,” Zeleon said.

He won’t be the only one making use out of the bike.

“I plan on riding it every day and sharing with my brother. He always walks to the store, and he doesn’t like it because it’s hot outside,” he said.

Impounded bikes would normally be auctioned off, but police decided to give back to the community and give them to kids instead.

“So many times we deal with not just kids, but just people on their worst day, and we want to try to deal with people in positive settings so they can have a good interaction and positive view of law enforcement,” Kostohryz said.

That’s why the police department asked teachers to identify students who could benefit from having a bike.

“Thank you to my teacher for signing me up,” Zeleon said.

Police say helping young people is a key part of the program.

“We believe that by establishing relationships with youth in the community we can help lower juvenile crime and also build trust in the community and between kids and law enforcement,” Kostohryz said.

Police say they’d like to continue doing this program, maybe even twice a year.