Mercedes-Benz Donates 25 Hi-Tech Mountain Bikes to the Philadelphia Police Foundation as Part of $2 Million Grassroots Law Enforcement Initiative

        Mayor, Police Commissioner and Uniformed Bike Patrol Officers
                             On Hand for Ceremony

    PHILADELPHIA, March 15 As of Thursday, March 15, the Bike
Patrol Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department will be utilizing an all-new
fleet of Police-Duty Mercedes-Benz All-Terrain Mountain Bikes.
    At a 3:00 PM ceremony at City Hall, Mercedes-Benz USA Corporate
Development and Transformation Officer Joe Johnson will present twenty-five
24-speed police-duty mountain bikes valued at $50,000, to Philadelphia Mayor
John Street and Police Commissioner John S. Timoney.
    With this donation, Philadelphia joins other major metropolitan areas,
such as New York, Miami and Atlanta, to have received police mountain bikes
from Mercedes-Benz.  Working with the International Police Mountain Bike
Association (IPMBA) in Baltimore, MD, Mercedes-Benz USA has launched a
mountain bike donation program to support law enforcement agencies that use
bicycles on the job.
    "The mountain bike has become the chosen mode of transportation by
community policing officers," said Johnson. "Through the various MBUSA
regional offices throughout the country, we will be donating 1,000
Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bikes to law enforcement agencies. We support community
policing which has proven to be one of the most effective methods of reducing
crime in both urban and suburban environments."
    Community policing traces its roots to neighborhood police officers who
walked a beat and knew, and were known by, local residents and merchants.  For
many police departments, bike officers are far more versatile and effective
than foot patrols in a variety of environments.
    The expansion of bike patrols and community policing activities is
designed to provide improved quality-of-life, safer streets, reduced crime,
increased real estate values and business growth.
    "In a city as popular and as busy as Philadelphia, bicycles have become an
essential policing tool.  Whether fighting crime, responding to community
needs or maintaining traffic control, Philadelphia police officers have to be
able to get there quickly and safely.  Thanks to Mercedes-Benz and their
generous contribution to the Police Foundation, we'll be able to do just
that," said Mayor Street.
    There are approximately 1,400 active bike patrol units in operation within
local, city, state and federal law enforcement agencies across the country,
according to the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA).
    "Bike officers can travel faster and farther than foot officers and they
are able to patrol areas unreachable by car.  They also have a stealth
advantage," said Maureen Becker, Executive Director, the International Police
Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA).
    The Mercedes-Benz All-Terrain Mountain Bike features a super-lightweight
Alcoa all-aluminum frame, hydraulic rear shock absorber, front and rear disc
brakes and Shimano Nexave drivetrain with 24-speed gearing.  Police Duty
models are fitted with a specific rear sub-frame with a welded rack pack plus
minor surface finish changes.

    Mercedes-Benz precision-engineered bicycles are hand-made in the USA by
AMP Research in Laguna Hills, CA.  These bikes are available in a number of
styles and price ranges (starting at $1,795) from authorized Mercedes-Benz
retailers, online at http://www.MBUSA.com or by calling 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES.