Dryden residents can look forward to seeing a police officer on a bicycle this summer.

The Ontario Provincial Police are launching a new bike patrol.

Five bicycles were acquired with the assistance of the Dryden Native Friendship Centre.

They will augment the detachment’s foot patrols.

Officers assigned to the unit are currently undergoing training.

Police say bikes are commonly used to patrol areas that may be inaccessible to police vehicles.

They can also cover a wider area faster than an officer on foot.

“The maneuverability of bicycles and their ability to navigate narrow and densely packed areas easily and quickly offer advantages over police cars, as well as reducing the carbon footprint, and allowing for easier interactions with the public when compared to the police cruisers,” the OPP state in a release.