Cypress police outline enforcement and education plan as residents press for stricter e‑bike controls

CYPRESS CITY — The Cypress Police Department briefed the City Council on local enforcement, school outreach and data on electric bicycles Tuesday night after several residents described near‑misses and crashes involving e‑bikes.

Chief Flatterback told the council the department is treating e‑bike safety as a mix of enforcement and education. “The frustration that you're feeling with ebikes is the exact same frustration we're feeling in the police department as well,” he said, and described targeted enforcement operations and school safety classes the department is expanding.

The chief said the department reviewed 39 months of data and made targeted stops and traffic contacts as part of grant‑funded enforcement. “Over the last 39 months, we've had 1,571 stops of bicycles as well as e bikes. We've had 11 traffic accidents involving ebikes. Out of those 11 accidents, 5 of them were the fault of the ebike rider,” he said, adding that e‑bike collisions account for about 1.2% of the department’s traffic accidents and related calls for service in that period.

That data did not satisfy some residents who described dangerous behavior. Peter Kurodi, who said his son was struck by a driver near Pinewood Park, told the council the neighborhood needs “more city resources to help make it safer.” Several other speakers said they have witnessed children riding at high speed without helmets, wheelies in the middle of the street and near misses with pedestrians and slower riders.

Some residents urged infrastructure changes. Christopher Yee, who identified himself as a Cypress resident, urged the council to include protected bike lanes in the city’s upcoming master bike plan: “Having dedicated protected bike lanes separated from cars … would help safety of both drivers and e‑bike riders,” he said.

The police chief described the department’s current and planned steps: continued school outreach and mandatory safety classes at some campuses, a dedicated web page of rules and frequently asked questions, grant‑funded enforcement sweeps (one recent four‑hour operation produced 43 stops and 37 citations), a planned e‑bike safety booth and rodeo at the department’s public open house, and routine use of the city's non‑emergency number for reports. He said parks rules prohibit e‑bikes on trails not intended for vehicles and that temporary signage had been posted when the municipal code language was adopted.

Council members asked about specifics the department can enforce, helmet requirements, riding on sidewalks and whether new city ordinances are needed to target “unsafe operation.” The chief answered that California Vehicle Code governs e‑bikes, officers apply judgment about “reasonable” or “unsafe” operation, and the department is pushing for state‑level changes such as requiring parental responsibility or licensing for certain bikes. Council members expressed interest in monitoring enforcement outcomes and reviewing potential local measures later if education and enforcement do not reduce risky behavior.

The discussion produced no ordinance or formal regulatory change at the meeting. Instead the council and staff directed continued emphasis on school safety classes, community education, grant‑funded enforcement operations and development of online guidance, while asking staff to return with updates on enforcement data and potential local policy options.

Residents and council members said they plan to continue the conversation—some urging short‑term enforcement sweeps, others seeking longer‑term infrastructure investments such as protected bike lanes.

Ending: The council thanked the police chief and public commenters for the discussion and asked the department to report back with additional data and follow‑up proposals.