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POLICE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING.
In-Service Training
Training must be continuous and on going and should not stop after
you attend a basic operators course. In-service training is vital
to a Police Motorcycle Officer's (PMO) safety and survival and how
often in-service is conducted—monthly, quarterly or yearly—it can be
boring and produce more "side stand training" than anything else.
According to the Law Enforcement Memorial Police, Motorcycle accidents
are the third leading cause of death for Police Officers. However,
according to a study on PMO:
1) Improper Braking 33.6%
2) Failure to take Evasive Action 26.7%
3) Curve Negotiation 12.8%
In these accidents, 49.2% reported rider error was present. This is
why accident avoidance exercises in conjunction with in-service training
is of vital importance for overall safety.
I divide training into three different tasks:
1) Cone pattern work with the rear brake
2) Accident Avoidance exercises
3) Cone pattern work without the rear brake.
In a training environment tasks will
keep the PMO's attention. If your trainer merely sets up the same
cone patterns each in-service and tells you "ride" you need a new
trainer!
I list Accident Avoidance exercises the following:
1) 40 MPH Brake and Escape
2) 40 MPH 180 Deceleration
3) Accelerated U-turns
4) Braking in a curve
5) 40 MPH Evasive Maneuver
6) 30 MPH Cone Weave
7) Curve Negotiation
At least one of these exercises is set up and the officers are required
to participate. If the exercise requires a speed then a radar gun
is used to keep everyone honest. This exercise will be conducted before
and after lunch to further develop the officer's ability and skill.
Over the years I have collected a large inventory of cone patterns
from across the nation, therefore, I make a strong attempt to set
up different patterns each month. The cone patterns will assist the
officer in enhancing their overall ability.
Don't forget a very basic training tool—a "breezeout" or "follow the
leader". All of the officer's will follow an instructor and imitate
everything that is performed. This can be basic to advanced depending
on the ability of your riders, cones or no cones, brake or no-brake,
on or off road or a combination of all. This also can be used as a
warm up of the officer and motorcycle, a cool down of the motor or
an evaluation process of the rider.
In my agency, we work on all cone patterns without using the rear brake—
a "crutch" for many. Without a doubt, this technique will improve your
ability and skill. It forces you to utilize quick head and eyes, stronger
grey area and exact wheel placement.
If training is not documented, it never happened, therefore, make
sure an attendance roster is kept along with a lesson plan. I have
included a copy of
our monthly lesson plan, which will take five minutes to complete,
providing you have a training program, which covers all of your in-service
material.
A training environment must be enjoyable for a student to learn, divide
up the training to keep their interest and make it as realistic as
possible.
 This
training article was written by Sergeant Jim Polan. Sgt. Polan has
23 years in Law Enforcement and is currently a Motor Sergeant for
the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in Florida. He has competed
in over 20 Police Motorcycle Rodeos with 10 first place finishes.
Sgt. Polan is an adjunct instructor for the Institute of Police Technology
and Management providing instruction in the Police Motorcycle Instructor
and Advanced Motorcycle operation courses.
If you are a police motorcycle instructor and would like to share some
of your knowledge with your fellow officers, please
let us know.
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