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POLICE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING.
A Look at Modern Police Motorcycle Training and Liability Since the inception of the automobile in the early 1900's, it has held a vital role in the evolution and modernizing of law enforcement, as we know it today. Departments worldwide go to great length and expense to properly train law enforcement personnel on the proper technique to operate automobiles in any and all driving situations. Larger municipal law enforcement agencies retain certified Driving Instructors on their training staff that are highly trained in EVOC etc., who conduct yearly training during in house training for their own personnel. Departments in recent years have come to grips with the civil liability of not having properly trained officers driving on the streets in which they serve. As long as the motorcycle has been around, it too has shared an integral role in the law enforcement community. In recent years as the popularity of the motorcycle has gained momentum, recent technological advances in the motorcycle have made their use even more appealing to law enforcement agencies. However training at most departments has been haphazard at best. In the early years no standardized training existed for motor officers and an Officer could simply check out a bike for a special event or tour of duty. Law enforcement training institutions such as the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) and the Northwestern Traffic Institute have come to the forefront and offered Police Motorcycle Instructor classes for agencies who wish to have a certified motorcycle instructor on staff. Not only is this good for the personal safety of motor officers who ride, this is a wise step for the agency to cover themselves in the light of civil liability from their own officers but also the general public. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case of City of Canton, Ohio v Harris, 489 U.S. 379 that under certain circumstances, [municipalities] can be held liable in civil rights action under U.S.C. 1983 for constitutional violations resulting from it's failure to train municipal employees. The court quoted saying, "It may seem contrary to common sense to assert that a municipality will actually have a policy of not taking reasonable steps to train it's employees. But it may happen that in light oh the duties assigned to specific officers, or employees the need for more or different training is so obvious, and in the inadequacy so likely to result in the violation of constitutional rights, that the policy makers of the city can be reasonably be said to have been deliberately indifferent to the need." Agencies must take the next step to ensure that their motor officers are properly trained. All too often once an Officer passes the Basic Police Motorcycle operators course, they are put out on the streets without proper follow-up to maintain proper skills. The motorcycle, due to its unique design requires more training, coordination and physical skills than those required to operate an automobile. Many departments as well as the department in which I represent, allow monthly training to keep its motor officer's skills constantly honed. These training sessions are vital to the success of the unit and must be documented each time by the unit instructor. These training sessions should include but not be limited to the standardized qualification course (we use IPTM) as well as multisurface or cross country riding. It is not uncommon for a motor officer to be required to leave the roadway to back up another Officer etc. and must be familiar with how their motorcycle accelerates and brakes on dirt, clay, grass or sandy surfaces. Periodically, training should be conducted at nighttime to ensure riders are comfortable operating the motorcycle in limited lighting conditions and to practice scanning the roadway. Many times motorcycle units will cancel training due to inclimate weather, however in the case of light rain the instructor should seize the opportunity to train on wet surfaces. Conducting training on wet surfaces is an excellent time to obtain the confidence of the motorcycle's abilities to operate on wet surfaces. All too often during special events etc. it will rain and the motor officer must be prepared to carry out their duties. Special attention should be given to tactical training on the motorcycle in an effort to understand its capabilities and limitations for use of cover in the event an exchange of gunfire. The motorcycle by design leaves the operator extremely vulnerable and proper training is a must. Our department incorporates simunition training during this phase to obtain optimum realism to be prepared. (See article on Police Motorcycle Officer Survival Training.) Additionally our unit will select a day for a long distance ride - usually (100-200) miles - to allow the motor officer to become familiar with the feel of the bike over an extended period of time. This allows practice for curve negotiations and team riding in which communication between the officers is crucial. In closing I hope these suggestions, which have been extremely beneficial to our unit, can assist your department in comparing or updating its training program. Any effort to limit crashes and reduce the risk of injury or liability is of paramount concern. Inv. Michael Walker is a 17 year veteran Officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. He is a certified Police Motorcycle Instructor and a nationally certified instructor for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). He currently is the EVOC Coordinator and can be reached at, Tallahassee Police Department, 234 E. 7th. Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida, 32303. Phone (850) 891-1866 or walkerm@talgov.com 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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