The five-day Police Bicycle Patrol Operators Course - typically conducted at Goulburn - was held in Dubbo last week.

Eighteen officers coming from Dubbo, Gilgandra, Yeoval, Wellington, Mudgee, Moree, Portland and Lithgow attended the course.

Western Region Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna, said it was a welcomed addition to training capabilities offered in the region.

"It's fantastic to see the decentralisation of these courses; the amount of shifts and hours it saves our staff from travelling significant distances in past when the course can be held in western region is a significant step forward," he said.

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"It's both a great opportunity for our staff to do a different style of policing, and another resource which our commands have.

"The overwhelmingly positive feedback from communities when they see police on bikes in and around CBDs speaks for itself.

"It acts as a significant deterrent to antisocial behaviour and surprisingly they're able to often make arrests by being able to access places often difficult to police."

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