Officer Rene Hernandez, a former Marine, likes to keep fit.

For him, being on the Sedona Police Department’s bike detail is a good way to stay in shape as he patrols the city. Hernandez is a certified bicycle patrol officer for the city of Sedona. He’s been with the city for almost six years.

“We had to go through a two-week course that certifies you through the International Mountain Bike Police Association,” Hernandez said. “Right now we’re just working a lot of special events, Day of the Cowboy, Moonlight Madness, Halloween, the tree lighting ceremony and all that stuff. We eventually want to get enough patrol officers to try and make it a full-bike riding detail every day.”

After an eight-month tour in Iraq that ended in 2005, Hernandez came to the Sedona area, where he landed a job with the police department. Since then he’s also discovered a love for golf, which he’s been doing for the last two and a half years.

“I’m not the best. I’m about a 20 or 30 handicap,” he said.

As part of his daily duties, Hernandez answers calls and patrols the city.

“I like to be a big part of the community policing program that we have here in the city of Sedona,” Hernandez said. “I do a lot of foot patrol and talk to the public about what they think Sedona is, what they want it to become. There are 25 to 30 of us. There’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t know their police officers by name or at least know who they are.”

As part of his patrol, Hernandez said he likes to speak to people in the retirement community.

“A lot of them have some really great stories. There are a lot of retired military, Navy SEALs, special ops guys, and you can learn a lot. They’ve been in Sedona a long time and can tell you a lot about Sedona,” Hernandez said.

Getting out and talking to people, he said, counts as one of his favorite parts of the job.

“If the public trusts you then they are more susceptible to telling you what’s going on in the community rather than being anti-police in the community, so I love talking to people,” Hernandez said.

Fluent in Spanish, Hernandez also talks with members of Sedona’s Hispanic community.

“With SB1070, a lot of the guys were really afraid of what was going to happen. I would go around and reassure them that we would enforce what we have to enforce, but until that happens, we can be trusted as police officers,” Hernandez said. “A lot of crimes happen that they don’t report because they’re scared of the police and think, even though they’re victims, they’re going to be treated as suspects. I have to tell them they’re not.”

Cmdr. Ron Wheeler said Hernandez is a strong addition to the department’s lineup.

“He’s spent a lot of time in the Partners Against Narcotics [Trafficking] task force, where he learned some valuable skills. We’re hoping, now that he’s back on patrol, he can take those skills and help out our patrol staff,” Wheeler said.