Bedford County Sheriff Department receives award for new rural bike program 

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BEDFORD (WSLS 10) - The Bedford County Sheriff's Department received an award for a new rural bike program.

The idea for the program came about in February to be able to get into areas, like strip-malls, more conveniently.

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Five deputies volunteered to be part of the program. Businesses donated the funds for the equipment, like the bikes and uniforms. No county funds were used.

Corporal Jeremy Gardner from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office thought up of the idea.

"I knew that car larcenies that season was coming up, and I just wanted to think of a different approach on how to combat that crime," says Gardner.

Other sheriff's offices, like Campbell County, were there during a news conference interested in the program.

"The bike patrol in some areas they are target specific not gonna put them on 260," says Sheriff Mike Brown. "They're gonna have areas football games, holiday season coming up."

The Bedford Police Department also helped with the program and trained deputies to be on the bikes. The sheriff received the Innovation Award.