Police Team Gets New Harley-Davidson Upgrades
Scranton, Pennsylvania is now training officers on new Harleys.
For the four motorcycle officers in the Scranton Police Department, they were in dire need of an upgrade. Their service bikes were almost 10 years old, and that just wasn’t going to cut it. Thanks to a new leasing agreement, those officers are getting upgraded to brand new 2017 Harley-Davidsons.
First things first, these officers needed some new training. Motorcycles have changed quite a bit in the last decade, so the officers in Scranton were set up with a two-week training course. “These exercises here today are all designed for slow speed. They’re not hot dogging, show off stuff. It’s really safety and efficiency,” explained Sgt. Mike Mayer in an interview with WNEP TV.
Now, don’t be fooled. While these Harley’s will be the best looking vehicles on the force, they’re not just there for their looks. “Number one, they can get into new spaces that cars can’t get into. They can effectively get into areas even, bikes, pedal bikes, or cars can’t get into to apprehend suspects,” said Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano.
Of course, these bikes are still brand new Harley-Davidsons, so they’re still a lot of fun to ride. That feeling is definitely not lost on the officers themselves. “It helps with the job,” added Sgt. Mayer. “It gets us places quicker, easier, but it’s nice when your office is two wheels, be out in the summer time riding, wind in your hair, sun on your face. It’s fun.”
Best news of all, the Scranton Police won’t have to worry about keeping these new bikes for another decade. As part of the lease agreement, these bikes will be changed out every three years.
