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SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S


MOTORCYCLE DRILL TEAM


S Submitted by Jerry Hicklin


EATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S Motorcycle Drill Team was formed in 1949 to assist in crowd clearing for the annual Seafair Parade through down- town Seattle. It was almost by accident


as the motorcycle unit just formed a big V and drove down the parade route, and the crowd loved it! There was cheering and clapping and the offi cers realized they had stumbled onto something. So the next year they actually worked up some drills and again led the parade, which has continued and expanded ever since. The Seattle drill team has performed at the Calgary


Stampede, Palm Springs, Portland Rose Parade, Vancouver, BC and many more events. The highlight and lowlight was the same event. The team was asked to lead the parade for the National Police Memorial in Washington D.C. for the original dedication. The team packed up and fl ew there while the motorcycles were loaded on a tractor trailer and the driver headed out. The truck broke down in Denver and could not get a replacement in time, so the team marched in the parade instead of leading it on their motorcycles! To say the team was disappointed would be an understatement! The Seattle drill team consists of 12 riding members and


three spares. The team is led by an offi cer (Drill Master), and a sergeant is also assigned. This year marks a milestone as


22 THE MOTOR OFFICER™ | SPRING 2013


the Drill Master , John Bernasconi, is retiring after 44 years of police service and 37 years on Motors. Offi cers donate their time and practice weekly during the drill season. The drill team had a vested interest in the yearlong test


the Seattle Police Department recently conducted to choose the “right” tool for the job. Seattle bought one Honda, one Kawasaki, one Victory and also tested the FLHTP Harley- Davidson®


Electra Glide®


each offi cer had ridden each motor, the offi cers overwhelmingly chose the Harley-Davidson®


Electra Glide® motorcycle for their


new motor. One offi cer stated “the performance was great but the comfort and storage made it a very easy decision.” Seattle runs 38 motors year around. The offi cers had been riding the Harley-Davidson®


FLHP Road King® FLHTP Electra-Glide® motorcycle for the past


10 years and are excited to be transitioning to the Harley- Davidson®


motorcycle.


Jerry Hicklin retired from the Seattle Police Department with 33 years of service. He spent his last 25 years on Seattle Motors and was an instructor for 10 years. He attended the LAPD instructor refresher course, the Seattle Motor School and Northwestern University and Harley-Davidson Instructor Training. He has been the Regional Accounts Rep for Harley- Davidson®


Police Fleet Sales for the past 6 years (after retiring from SPD) in the northwestern part of the U.S. motorcycle. After the year was up and


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