Gun Maker Rolls Out New Crime Weapon

Smith & Wesson has a new product, and the company guarantees the police will appreciate its stopping power.

It’s not a .44 Magnum, or even a .357. It’s a bicycle.

The nation’s largest maker of handguns has wheeled out a line of police bicycles complete with lights and sirens.

David Sargeant, business manager for Smith & Wesson, estimated more than 20,000 police officers across the country now patrol on bicycles and the total is expected to jump.

“Bicycles are becoming a very important and effective part of policing work,” he said. “They not only provide the officers with a different type of mobility, but they bring them back into touch with the community.”

Smith & Wesson will compete with several bicycle companies, including Raleigh, Trek and BMW, which make special police models of their mountain bikes.