The motor officers will enforce traffic stops, as well as participate in community appearances and events
Two Washington Township police officers are hitting the road on two wheels after successfully completing motorcycle certification training. Along with patrol duties, the officers will participate in public relations campaigns as well.
According to Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik, the department already had two Harley Davidson motorcycles parked in the garage not being utilized. After having them serviced, the two officers, Lawrence Achey and Steven Pinnelli, attended the training course, held in Warrington, Pa., in April. The department has five officers certified to ride motorcycles.
Pinnelli said the training course was the most challenging course he has taken while working for the police department.
“The biggest challenge to overcome is yourself,” Pinnelli said. “At a certain point during the training, you tell yourself, ‘I’m not going to get it by the end of the week and I’m not going to pass,’ but you continue to practice the skills you are taught, and with the time and practice, it clicks.”
The weeklong training required the officers to practice maneuvering the motorcycles at low speeds through cones, designed to mimic intersections and U-turn scenarios with minimum room for error, Achey said.
“My biggest challenge was finding the area of the clutch which is known as the friction zone, and using this concept, combined with the appropriate amount of throttle and rear brake, to maintain balance at low speeds while turning the wheel to its extremes without falling or striking cones,” Achey said. “Even the most seasoned riders will not be able to pass unless they master the perfect combination of balance, rear brake application, clutch application and throttle.”
Both officers acquired their motorcycle license prior to the course, however, they said compared to the basic course, this certification was much more difficult.
“My first street-legal motorcycle was a dual-sport, which means it is much lighter and maneuverable. A 900-pound Harley is a whole different animal,” Achey said. “Even as an experienced rider, I dumped the motorcycle at least 50 times throughout the week.”
The motorcycles will be used to enforce traffic laws as well as participate in public appearances such as the Fourth of July parade, funeral details, motorcycle runs and community policing initiatives.
“You are much smaller than a police car,” Pinnelli said. “You can fit in places that a car wouldn’t and also you blend in with traffic, for the most part, while riding because most people do not expect a motor cop out and about conducting enforcement.”
Achey said additional benefits include the ability to get to calls faster, specifically in areas of heavy traffic, as the motorcycles can accelerate faster than a typical patrol car, and they can be used more effectively for traffic-related proactive assignments.
According to the officers, since their certification they have received more attention, on average, while on a motorcycle than they do when patrolling in a car.
“Since my short time as being a motor cop, I’ve taken pictures with kids and they are usually asking to come over and sit on the motors and check them out,” Pinnelli said.
Gurcsik said he has received positive feedback from residents who told him they saw the motorcycles around town and weren’t aware the department even had them.
“There’s so much more to this job than ticket writing, and I’m trying to change that culture of policing locally,” Gurcsik said.
Pinnelli, who joined the Washington Township Police Department in 2012 and graduated from the police academy in 2013, said the training course was one of the best experiences he’s had since his hiring.
Achey, who has been a full-time employee with the department since 2014, said the certification has opened many doors in his law enforcement career, ranging from proactive assignments to community policing initiatives and events.
“There is something about riding a marked police motorcycle that really seems to grab the attention of people in a positive way,” Achey said.
