LEFT: Deputies Chris Higgins (left) and Pat Allison (right) are consummate motor officers. Both adopt a “no nonsense” approach to traffic enforcement, are committed to overall traffic safety, and are consistently the top producers among their peers. ABOVE: Lt. Westfall standing next to awarded “Mr. Rodeo” Harley-Davidson®
FLHTP®
belt laws and crack down on traffic violators in school zones as well as motorists who endanger schoolchildren by illegally passing stopped school buses. They participate in a variety of street crime operations, such as details that target stolen vehicles, and also conduct special enforcement operations throughout the county in response to neighbor- hood traffic complaints. In addition, they provide escorts in order to ensure safe passage of everything from presidential motorcades and other dignitary visits to funeral proces- sions, homes on wheels and portable school classrooms being transported to campuses around the county. Motor deputies also are responsible for conducting THIs, or traffic homicide investigations, in all four of the Sheriff’s Office’s contract cities. And while traffic enforcement is one of the most visible activities that the public sees motor deputies engaging in, equally important is the fact that their traffic duties often end up revealing criminal activities which might otherwise go unnoticed. Motor deputies also are a ready force always available for those “other duties as assigned.” So, for instance, when three hurricanes struck the eastern coast in 2004, motor deputies were there to respond and assist in the recovery efforts. The same goes when tornadoes touched down in Volusia County on Christmas Day in 2006, and then again just a few weeks later in early February 2007. And last year, when a mother and her two children went missing in Volusia County under suspicious circumstances, motor units were there to supplement the massive ground search. And then there are the special events, DUI enforcement
waves and the peak beach season. During those times, it’s literally all hands on deck, as the Sheriff’s Office’s motor deputies work hand-in-hand with neighboring law enforce-
motorcycle.
ment agencies, both local and state, to ensure the safe and orderly flow of traffic in and out of the community. It’s a busy and hectic—and at times dangerous—job. But it certainly has its rewards. And chief among this is knowing that lives are being saved. After all, the next impaired driver put in handcuffs and taken to jail by a motor deputy is one less tragedy waiting to happen, one less family to notify about the loss of a loved one. “It’s certainly rewarding when an event is successful in terms of ensuring for the safe and efficient ingress and egress to event venues by all participants,” said Lt. Westfall. “The maneuverability of the motorcycle allows our deputies to quickly and efficiently respond to calls for service or quell issues of concern as they arise.” Sheriff Ben Johnson certainly is someone who appreciates
the value of cops on bikes. As a young motor deputy in the early 1980s, Johnson fondly recalls his days of policing on a bike as a fun and rewarding job where he could zip around traffic and often get to a scene quicker than in a patrol car because of the mobility, maneuverability and tactical advantage that a bike affords. In fact, he calls it one of his two most favorite assignments, right up there with the time he spent on the SWAT team. And now, as Volusia County’s elected Sheriff for the past 13 years, Sheriff Johnson values the job of his motor deputies all the more. “Traffic is one of the biggest killers out there,” said Sheriff Johnson. “Because of their enforcement efforts, our motor units are saving lives virtually every day. There are many times when we wouldn’t be able to effectively do our job, get to where we needed to go quickly enough and take care of the situation without our motor units. They’re absolutely essential to our ability to fulfill our mission protecting and serving the public.”
22 THE MOTOR OFFICER™
| SPRING 2014
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