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vering a 351.54 kg (775 pounds), 1690 cc (103 cubic inch engine displacement) Harley-Davidson®


Police motorcycle within a


very narrow 4-point intersection bordered by orange pylons proved incredibly challenging. The pylons simulated pedes- trians, and they seemed magnetic in their ability to draw the Harley-Davidson®


motorcycle into them. All the while, Stan


Hazen and other instructors would loudly, patiently, and repeatedly encourage students to give “more throttle” (hear the “potato, potato, potato”), work the clutch within the “grey area”, touch the brake at certain key points, lean slightly forward, and “look up, look up, look up!” As mentioned earlier, the very fi rst lesson given was on how


to pick up the motorcycle if it was dropped on its side. This was an invaluable part of the instruction given the fact that most members dropped their Harley-Davidson®


motorcycles


up to ten or more times per day while trying to accomplish the slow speed maneuvers. This also contributed to a genuine team-building exercise, as we quickly learned to support each other in uprighting the bikes because, as the day wore on, they became heavier and heavier as we each repeatedly dropped the bikes time and time again. Daily instruction began at 07:15 a.m. with a motorcycle


inspection (oil check, tire pressures, seat and suspension pres- sures), then on to the tarmac instruction. The instructors had the intuition to know when student frustrations were building to the point that a “road trip” was required to clear the mind and alleviate those frustrations. A blast of the instructors motorcycle siren would indicate a road trip adventure was about to begin — rain or shine. Members would don the appro- priate riding gear and set off in proper formation. Road trips would begin with ten of us in single-line formation, leaving the grounds of the Ontario Police College. This exercise took us over all sorts of terrain at varying speeds; rain soaked grass; grassy, wet, steep hills; loose gravel; routine pavement; dirt roads; and of course, Highway No. 401. The practical exercises included a fast 100 kilometre per hour ride in staggered forma- tion, and also included slower city driving, side-by-side, through St. Thomas (which was a particular thrill for me, having served there between 1982 and 1993). The instructors would integrate various skill testing maneuvers during the road trips, such as tight u-turns on steep hills and narrow roadways, or u-turns on a very narrow country bridge simulating an emergency response situation. Over the two-week period of the training,


Police motorcycle graduation riding demonstration


our session logged approximately 800 miles on road trips riding in heavy rain, in daylight, and at night. All environments and conditions contributed to the development of our professional riding skills. Most days ended at 4:30 p.m. Other than a one hour lunch break, all the training was conducted right on the Harley-Davidson®


motorcycle! Finally, it was game day — the fi nal testing. Tensions


were very high, as we knew the standards that we needed to meet were also very high. All the training, encouragement, and advice given over the previous two weeks came together. It is clearly an understatement to say that the fi nal testing was merely challenging. The entire Police Motorcycle Opera- tors Training Course was the most physically and mentally demanding police training course that I have experienced in almost 34-years of policing, despite my many years of recreational motorcycle riding. Having met the challenge, my motorcycle skills have now improved from where they previously were. Graduation day was a proud occasion for all! The instruc-


tors had designed a graduation ceremony that included a brief practical demonstration of the skills that we had developed, as well as the formal presentation of graduation certifi cates by the Ontario Police College’s Assistant Director, Bill Stephens, Deputy Director, Jon Schmidt, and Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada Fleet Sales Manager, Pat Kealey, who also presented each graduate with a unique Harley-Davidson®


challenge coin. Respectfully, my advice to every Chief of Police who cur-


rently deploys offi cers on motorcycle patrol is to enroll your members in a valuable training program. They will only stand to benefi t from the experience through the development of skills that are unique to police motorcycle operation. That skill development will enable them to ride safely and to serve your citizens much more effectively in an enforcement capacity. To those who have not yet included Harley-Davidson®


motorcycles


in your fl eet, consider adding another tool to the community safety toolbox! The advantages of adding a motorcycle patrol to your police service and community traffi c safety programs are tenfold!


Rod Freeman has been a member of the OACP since 1993. Chief Freeman serves as the chief of the Woodstock Police Service, and can be reached by email at RFreeman@woodstockpolice.ca.


SPRING 2012 | THE MOTOR OFFICER™


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