By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Police Department is offering a free bicycle safety class in April for children as just one of the community events the agency is participating in within the next couple of months, said events organizer Salisbury police officer Rebecca Sexton.

The event will take place from 10 am to 1 pm on April 25 at the Salisbury Police Department. There are just 20 spaces available so registration is a must, she said.

Sexton said the event will start with a 40-minute class instruction period that will include safety tips. The children, who will need to be accompanied by a parent, will go outdoors to ride the bikes. The riding time will be followed up by lunch and issuing certificates to participants.

The bikes and helmets will be provided, and the class is designed for children who can ride a 20-inch bike.

Sexton said there were a few bicycles left over from the Christmas bike giveaway through Gerry Wood Auto Group. The police department also received a few more bicycles and decided the event would be something they could create to use the bicycles.

“We always do stuff for the adults and this would be something directed more for children,” Sexton said.

She said the hope is that a bicycle safety class could be offered each year.

The department is taking part in several other activities in the next few months, which include:

• This week officers will visit North Hills Christian School at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Overton Elementary School at noon on Thursday and Koontz Elementary School on March 19 at 11:30 a.m. as part of national reading month and Dr. Seuss’s birthday.

Sexton said this is an opportunity for students to see officers in a different light and to “understand officers are their friends.”

• Assisting at the Salisbury Fire Department all-weather emergency preparedness event on Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salisbury Civic Center. The free event is open to the public, which will be able to obtain information on how to prepare for weather-related disasters.

There will be a number of emergency responders at the event, including the National Guard with its Black Hawk helicopter on display, the State Highway Patrol, Salisbury Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Rowan County Emergency Management, CERT team, Miller’s Ferry Fire Department with its rescue equipment and State Fire Marshal’s Office with its kid safety van. Yummi Banh Mi Streetside Cafe food truck will also be on hand.

• Police officers will escort and assist veterans from their vehicles to the entrance of the Vietnam Veteran’s Luncheon. The event will be held on March 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will take place at the former J.C. Penney’s department store at the West End Plaza.

• A few women officers from the police department have been asked to speak during the March 28 Women Empowering Women event at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center. The event is being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center. Sexton said officers have been asked to speak about safety.

• April 1^st is the monthly S.N.A.G. meeting at 10 a.m. to be held at the police department. During those meetings, which are open to the community, citizens can ask about arrests, guns seized or drugs confiscated from the community. It’s also an opportunity for citizens to address any concerns or questions they may have about crime or other issues as it pertains to the police department.

• The annual Touch-a-Truck event will take place on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall, 217 S. Main St.