INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Clif Bar Baking Company of Indianapolis, and the Indy Public Safety Foundation (IPSF) recently introduced Project GEAR — Genuine Youth Engagement and Recreation. An extension of IMPD’s Youth Mountain Bike Project, this mobile mountain bike skills park will be a resource for youth in neighborhoods across the city and will serve as part of the City’s continued community-focused response to areas impacted by violence. Project GEAR will be run by IMPD officers with coordination from the Indy Public Safety Foundation, and is made possible in part by contributions from Clif Bar Baking Company of Indianapolis and SRAM.
The IMPD Youth Mountain Bike Project was established in 2015 by IMPD North District Bike Unit officers to help build connections between area youth and the police through mountain biking. In 2019, the Indy Public Safety Foundation and IMPD partnered to invest $25,000 in a Shoretrax mobile mountain bike park — the second of its kind in the U.S. This expansion allows IMPD to provide this innovative skill- and relationship-building experience at schools, parks, community centers, and other locations in neighborhoods across the city.
The Youth Mountain Bike Project began with the Headquarters Mountain Bike Skills Park, one of the only such parks in an urban core in the country. The park, located near IMPD’s North District Headquarters, includes several miles of trail and dozens of features to help youth learn bike skills and safety along with life skills. With 15 officers trained and supporting the park’s operations, IMPD and IPSF have built relationships with and impacted over 7,000 youth to date.
