History of bike cops in NYC?

I got this query and and would be curious to learn the answer:

I’m working on a story on the history of police riding bikes in New York City…. I’m looking to explore when the NYPD used bikes as transportation, why they did, and how their utilization has changed over time as policing strategies/ideologies have shifted.

Let’s see how good this new-fangled media thing really is.

Feel free to comment or email Noah Kazis directly.

Anybody?

Ferris?

Pic credit: Shorpy.