The Laramie Police Department is speaking out against the unofficial tradition of a local bike-ride pub-crawl.  According to an editorial release sent by police officials the Laramie P.D. is calling the Tour De Laramie potentially dangerous not only to participants but community members.

Police Commander Mitch Cushman says that the Tour De Laramie started a number of years ago as a celebration to end the school year and is traditionally held the last week of school.  "Some students get together on the last day of class and they go riding and drinking on their bicycles," says Cushman.  "They do a tour of the different bars and at each bar they take a drink.  They usually ride until they can't ride their bikes any longer.  It can sometimes result in injuries or other kinds of calls that police department has to handle."

Cushman says that he's aware of a few specific events from past Tours De Laramie, where a person rode their bicycle into the back of a parked car, resulting in injuries.  Another time, Cushman says police have found participants asleep in yards or other property where the riders literally crashed and passed out.  "If that happens on a bad weather day, or something like that, it can have more dire consequences than just an arrest for disorderly conduct," Cushman said.

The Laramie P.D. goes on to warn potential participants that drinking and riding can lead to a citation of driving while intoxicated on a bicycle, as they are still in operation of a vehicle.  Also people who cannot take care of themselves due to intoxication a charge of disorderly conduct.

"The Laramie Police Department has already brought forth the discussion of over consumption as a problem in Laramie.  Over consumption leads to crimes and enhances the possibility for victimization on several levels.  It also costs the citizens of Laramie for immediate medical care for those who consumed above safe limits for their physical well being."

-From the Official Laramie P.D. Editorial Statement

Some events pages bearing the "Tour De Laramie" name have been posted to Facebook. However Cmdr. Cushman reminds that the Tour De Laramie itself is an unofficial event, "There are no sober drivers when a bike rider over consumes, there is no plan to check everyone’s welfare halfway through the event by organizers, and there appears to be no buddy system for all riders as evidenced by arrests made in previous years."

The Laramie P.D. has announced that they will have extra patrols available for enforcing all bicycle and alcohol laws.

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