NORMAL - The Normal Police Department will begin taking applications Monday from McLean County residents interested in being part of a bicycle patrol on Constitution Trail.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old and undergo a background check, said Police Chief Kent Crutcher.

Those selected must take part in a two-hour training course.

Participants will wear lime green vests with reflective tape and the marking "Safety Ambassador." They also will carry radios so they can call a police officer if they see a crime.

"They are not there to intervene," said Crutcher. "They are another set of eyes. People using the trail will hopefully have a greater sense of security and those contemplating crimes, won't."

Last summer, a man was attacked by a group while on Constitution Trail in Bloomington and there have been several reports of indecent exposure along the trail since November 2007.

Crutcher is hoping to attract 50 to 60 volunteers so that the patrol can operate all hours of the day. They will ride in groups of two and sign up for two-hour blocks of time. The trail opens one hour before sunrise and closes one hour after sunset.

Training is expected to start the first week of April so that the safety ambassadors can be on the trail by April 13, Crutcher said.