AboutSoCalPOBA

The Southern California Police Officer Bicycle Association, Inc. (SoCalPOBA) is a non-profit organization that promotes "Best Practices" between police officers who share the desire to ride bicycles. These practices promote safe cycling (both on and off-duty), with a common goal to encourage positive police bicycle training, officer safety, and physical fitness. The association was formed by Los Angeles Police Officers to promote multi-agency training, camaraderie and family fun.

Most Southern California Police Agencies have deployed police on bicycles, either full time or seasonal. The use of bicycle patrols has become a proven crime fighting tool and has been received by communities as a community policing tool. The public approaches and interacts more frequently with police on bicycles than in cars. Though bicycles will never replace police cars, we have found that bicycle deployment is an under-utilized resource in Southern California.

SoCalPOBA will bring together Southern California Police Agencies to serve as a venue to exchange ideas, train and share experiences. We intend to organize “Forums” and bicycle patrol riding events/competitions, thus allowing officers to work together from agencies throughout the region. As part of these forums, our organization will evaluate police and bicycle equipment that is currently available and being used by bicycle patrol officers. We hope to encourage some product development that will make a bike patrol officer’s job easier and safer.

Our membership has found a void in law enforcement cycling organizations in bringing our families together. Many more of our membership ride bicycles off- duty than on-duty. We intend to encourage and organize rides throughout Southern California. We will have both road bike and mountain bike rides and to increase riding awareness and also provide maintenance tips. They will be open for all membership, families and our partners. With all levels of riding skills in our membership, there should be a ride organized for everyone. There are some great places to ride in Southern California; our membership will hope to explore your favorite ride route or location.

The Association will also promote positive role models to youth through youth programs, and encourage safe cycling in the community. We look forward to organizing, promoting and bringing together local schools, police and business sponsors to provide youth with bicycle safety programs. These programs would provide an opportunity for youth to learn safe cycling techniques, the rules of the road, how to be a responsible cyclist in our community. Our organization intends to use bicycle demonstrations, classes or bicycle rodeos, allowing children a chance to ride, learn and practice safe cycling. These sessions will be a great opportunity for bicycle safety gear such as helmets and even some bicycles to be distributed to the children.

We look forward to bringing the law enforcement family closer together with positive training, cycling events, and family fun. If you are a law enforcement officer or fire/EMS personnel and enjoy cycling, whether it is on or off-duty, we hope that you would join our association.

Our association is newly formed and moving forward. We are building positive relationships with all cycling clubs and associations, police and fire agencies and our local business sponsors. We look forward to many great cycling events and educational sessions for our youth.

Ride safe and have fun.

Meet Your Board Members

Darrell Belthius, President
Email:
I'm a 20 year vet of LAPD, currently a sergeant assigned as a Bureau Training Coordinator. I worked various assignments including patrol, undercover, surveillance, training, detectives, gangs, vice, organized crime, terrorism and administrative positions at various ranks. I'm a certified instructor for numerous topics including firearms, tactics, force options, WMD, NIMS and LAPD's bike school.

My current assignment provides me access to working several bike patrol days a month, both at major events and crime suppression details.

I'm currently the president of this organization and enjoy riding mountain and road bikes. I've been involved in police training for 15 years and look forward to making cycling and police work a more common practice in Southern California.

Irmina Dumaplin, Vice President
Email:
I’ve been with the LAPD for over 11 years. Through the years, I’ve worked patrol, the hype unit, bike patrol, vice, community relations and ATV patrol. I am a lead instructor for the POST certified LAPD Bicycle Patrol School and also a POST certified ATV instructor. My current assignment affords me the flexibility to bike patrol or ATV patrol. I believe that training and innovation are the keys to our success as police officers and as riders.

I’m a mountain biker and ride as often as I can. I’ve ridden the majority of the Southern California trails, as well as some races. We will be posting some rides for different levels. See you at the rides.

Happy trails.

Albert Ornelas, Secretary
Email:
I patrol the small suburb of San Pedro, a town in that I was born and raised in. San Pedro is located in the coastal area of Los Angeles. The bicycle unit I work in Harbor Division has been in existence since the mid 1980's. I also teach bicycle patrol schools for the LAPD. My hobbies include spending time with my wife and daughter, running and lifting weights.

My primary goal is to see bicycle officers receive the latest up to date information on training, products and tactics pertaining to bicycle patrol.

Loren Ortiz, Treasurer
Email:
I’ve been with the LAPD for over 11 years. I’ve worked patrol, the Bicycle Coordination Unit, and the Training Unit. I was also a member of the LAPD Special Event Road Bike Team. I believe in having the best tools for the trade.

I am a competitive road cyclist who dabbles in triathlons and mountain biking. Aside from that, my family (wife, son and daughter) keeps me busy.

Troy Gielish, Orange County Training Coordinator
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I was a competitive cyclist for several years before begining my law enforcement career in 1992, working for the city of Hawthorne. I have since lateraled to the City of Irvine. I spent over four years working a federal DEA Task Force and am currently assigned as a patrol sergeant. I have been involved with training for most of my career and am a staff instructor for C.N.O.A. and the Orange County Sheriff's Department where I teach a Bicycle Patrol course.

My current assignment provides me access to bike patrol activities including crime suppression details and coordinating bicycle rodeos and other community events.

My competitive cylcing background includes road, cyclocross, mountain bike and track however, I spend most of my current spare time surfing or riding mountain bikes recreationaly with my two sons in South Orange County. Thanks.