Detroit police patrol around the city on bikes:

(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit police got out of their cars and onto bikes Friday night, riding in and around the fourth precinct and through Downtown Detroit.

“Community is important, community is first. Everything we do is about our community,” said Police Chief James White, who joined in on the bike ride.

White says the Detroit Police Bike Patrol Operations are a unique group of individuals who are on the front lines of combatting crime and engaging with the people they’re meant to help.

“You know they’re second to none. They get a lot of information on abandoned vehicles and things like that. That’s just part of their life. I mean, they’re on duty all the time,” White said.

The officers got out and spoke to the Project Green Light partners around the neighborhood, asking them about trends they’ve noticed and how they can help more productively.

But the night ride was also about getting into the community and letting them know they were on their block to serve them. They asked their needs, answered any questions they had and opened up a dialogue.

“It’s a constant work in progress,” said White. “You cannot take this great community for granted. You gotta continue to work with them. You have to be transparent. You won’t always have agreement with the community, but certainly, you can seek understanding.”