Lawmakers are asking Kentucky State Policy to cut back on gas, and as KSP tries to find ways to conserve, Bowling Green Police talk about a decade long program that has kept officers out of their cars and out in the community.

It's finally spring which means kids are dusting of their bikes and hitting the sidewalks, and that's exactly what Bowling Green Police officers are doing as part of their Policing Community Program.

"Community policing is a concept that's actually been around since the mid 1990's, which was an effective way to get officers out of the car and into the neighborhoods," explains Officer Barry Pruitt.

Barry Pruitt with the Bowling Green Police Department says the program was designed to benefit the community by making police officers more accessible.

"In a lot of neighborhoods you'll see officers patrolling on bicycles where they can stop and to people, to kids, just making them more approachable," he explains.

In addition to making officers more visible to neighbors, the Community Policing Program holds some major benefits for the Bowling Green Community.

"The theory behind community policing is that if you get back into the neighborhoods like the cops did when they walked the beats several years ago, that because they would be more approachable. People would be more willing to maybe share information about criminal activity where an officer in a car may not get that opportunity," Pruitt says.

And as kids bring out their bicycles this spring, expect to see more officers hit the streets as well.

"With the warm temperatures, you're going to see more officers out on bicycles and even motorcycles, be out in the neighborhood more. So, you'll see us out there," Pruitt adds.

In addition to their regular duties, Bowling Green police officers also attend Neighborhood Watch Meetings to keep in touch with the community.