“..Police on bicycles is just nuts...”
some police train officers to use the bikes as a defensive tool in crowd control. For one thing it keeps them away from the body. It can also be a pretty good weapon.
Not as good as a 1,000 pound horse. A phalanx of horses strikes fear in anybody opposing the cops.
Plus, when the rioter takes your bike, you have to get it back from the rioter. Is there anything more silly looking than a cop trying to get his bicycle back from a thug?