Police officers work hard and put their lives on the line every day. That’s why it’s good to hear when some good fortune comes their way. In this case, it’s in the form of two new Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Two lucky cops in Yuma, Arizona will be riding what appear to be police edition Electra Glides on patrol routes and, according to the Yuma Sun, “for selective traffic enforcement details and DUI details.” The local police department was able to purchase the pair of $28,000 bikes thanks to a grant from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. That also provided money for the black-and-white motorcycles’ lights and sirens. The city paid the total of $7,000 for the decals, radar units, and communications systems on them.
It seems that money was well spent because they’ve been reported as being more comfortable and able to turn better than the high-mileage 2011 bikes they’ve replaced, which will now be used for training. One officer liked the new Harleys so much that he decided to buy a 2015 H-D of his own.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
