BGPD revved up about new motorcycles

Friday, June 11, 2004

Within two weeks, the Bowling Green Police Departments new Harleys will be hitting the road. Four new Harley-Davidson Road King Police Edition motorcycles, to be used by police, were unveiled Friday at Harley-Davidson of Bowling Green. The motorcycles, leased to BGPD by the dealership at the unbeatable price of $1 per year, bring back fond memories for Bill Dawkins and Mack Sears, former motorcycle patrol officers who retired from the department in 1967 and 1987, respectively. Dawkins said he rode the departments 1955 Harley, his bike of choice, more than anybody. I was out there rain, snow, sleet, sun, he said. By the time Sears joined the motorcycle patrol in 1967, the policy had changed a bit due to safety concerns. Temperatures lower than 32 degrees or wet weather would keep the Harleys off the road, per the chiefs orders. Guidelines for the modern-day motorcycle patrol are still being decided, patrol supervisor Sgt. Jim Hyde said. Inclement weather will likely keep the motorcycles off the road in most cases, though they will still patrol events such like parades, rain or shine. One guest who drew much attention at Fridays ceremony was Ricky Hudson, owner and founder of American Motorcycles on Slim Island Road. Hudson, who claims an affinity for collecting old stuff in general, single-handedly restored BGPDs 1961 Harley-Davidson Dual Glide, a standard police model, after it was damaged in a house fire. After being sold in a city auction, the motorcycle changed ownership twice before it encountered Hudsons tender, loving care. He bought the motorcycle for $5,000 in 1992 and invested another $5,000 to restore it to like-new condition. As they admired the Dual Glide and swapped war stories of their days on the road, Dawkins and Sears agreed that it is good to see the revival of the motorcycle patrol, which was phased out in 1971. I think its a fine idea, Dawkins said. They can go where the cars cant and they can get to the scene of an accident quicker than cars can and maybe provide assistance quicker for injured people. Sears noted that because of the numerous distractions for harried drivers, the motorcycle officers will be placing themselves at special risk. Still, he said, the officers training should equip them to deal with dangerous scenarios. The public needs to be aware these are out there, he said, but when I started, we only had a couple hours of training and they put us on them. These guys have been through extensive training. Police Chief Bill Waltrip said all the new motorcycle patrol officers were warned of the risk factor and advised to consider it carefully and discuss it with their families. I told them they need to consider what they are getting into, he said. The officers chosen to join the motorcycle patrol are Hyde, Master Police Officers James McCubbins, Kevin Croghan and Tim Wilson, Advance Police Officers Mike Delaney and Robert Hansen and Officers Wade Hughes and Jamie Peerce. Five still need to complete the intense, two-week training offered by Northwestern University and Harley-Davidson in Ohio. The police department is also still in the process of purchasing all the necessary equipment. Waltrip thanked city officials for their support in reimplementing the motorcycle patrol, and he also expressed appreciation for the generosity of Harley-Davidson of Bowling Green and its parent company, Martin Management Group. Cornelius Martin, owner of Martin Management, said the deal was beneficial to all involved. Its a twofold thing, he said. It demonstrates the versatility of our product, and I thought it could facilitate a good relationship between the department and the community. We like to help the department out in any way we can, because Bowling Greens been good to me.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700