with several open spaces on the left side, the last Motor Officer on the right should slide left to fill the furthest forward left opening and others will follow suit until the column is even or the only opening is the last left space. No Motor Officer has to maneuver his/her motorcycle through the column EXCEPT when departing as a Power Guard or when part of “Times Two”. With the Power Guard, those officers key on the front left rider of the Power Guard and depart the column as one unit in the direction that Motor Officer chooses. For the Motor squad’s Command
Unit, sending Road Guards and Power Guards, timing is key. Road Guards and Power Guards need enough time to
A GOOD MOTORCYCLE ESCORT BEGINS WITH ADVANCED TRAINING, AS MUCH PLANNING AS YOU CAN PACK INTO THE SHORT NOTICE THESE TYPE OF EVENTS GIVE, AND INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION.
arrive safely at their assignment, take control of traffic (move vehicles out of the way, as necessary), get the attention of other traffic/pedestrians at the assign- ment and take command of the scene. When sending out Road Guards and/ or Power Guards, the commands have to be given early, clearly and concisely. A few days before a visit, there will
usually be a “Police Meeting” during which those providing the protection will go over the route, any intel about the visit, and discuss what support will be needed. During this meeting the capabilities and limitations of what your department has to offer are discussed. Your department’s history should also be discussed with such details. You will be given a confidential packet of information that contains phone numbers for everyone in attendance, their area of responsibilities and some basic information about the visit. After leaving the meeting, your responsibilities will likely include route
security. You’ll want to positively control every intersection and ramp and for most protectees, control any medians that may be driven over, and bridge overpasses and underpasses. The specifics of what to do at each of these areas depends largely on the status of the protectee, and those providing the protection will be able to guide you as to exactly what they’d like to see there. Along the route, pre-assign officers for various assignments and number those assignments. By number- ing the assignments, you make clear to all exactly where they’ll be working and area of responsibility. Additionally, it’s better to be able to transmit on the radio something like, “Confirm closure of post A2” instead of, “Confirm closure of the Interstate on ramp from Beck- ett Road” because the location of the motorcade should not be transmitted. For major intersec- tions and interstate ramps, patrol cars and SUVs are pre- ferred over reliance
on Motor Officers. In motorcades, the column of Motor Officers is there to pro- vide protection for unanticipated issues such as missed traffic posts, stranded motorists, and last-minute changes to the route such as unannounced stops or hospital visits.
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION The reputation of your motor squad rests not just with their riding ability, but their ability to work with neighboring jurisdictions. Between departments, there might be competing interests, border disputes and hurt feelings over perceived wrongs from the past. For the protection of the dignitary and, more importantly, the safety of everyone in the motorcade, drop those issues until “wheels up” is called. There have been volumes written about working with other jurisdictions, but the simplest method we’ve found is to train together before an event. If you
have read your neighbors’ SOP and know how they train and conduct motorcades, you’ll be better prepared to work with them. The Cobb Police Motor Squad fre- quently works and trains with neighbor- ing jurisdictions and has found it useful to have exchanged business cards before the motorcade. The impact of a well-run motorcade
is an impressive, precise and smooth operation. It’s the poorly managed motorcades that become newsworthy. Take the time to study, practice and train on what riding tactics you’ll use to safely provide motorcades and perhaps at the end of the motorcade, you’ll get to rub elbows with the VIP.
Hawk Hagebak is a 23-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department in Metro Atlanta and serves as the Lieutenant of the department’s Traffic Services Unit and author of theMotorcycle Adventures series of guidebooks.
RIDE
DO YOU a bike... Laser?
& RUN
Then you need Laser Holster!
We provide motorcycle holders for many different styles and sizes of lasers.
Quality Products for
Law Enforcement
www.LaserHolster.com
678.360.6916 or 716.698.2934
SPRING 2013 | THE MOTOR OFFICER™ 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40