Motor Cops and Gear...

[zooom]

....I have oten wondered why Motors officers don't wear the kind of gear that we generally preach about doing and do. HFL's contributor Sean Smith brought up that the Manhattan Beach, CA Motorcycle cop that passed away a short time ago doing funeral escort duty could have potentially been saved if he was wearing gear(and the 2nd officer who collided with him could have decreased his level of injury). Now, at his funeral procession, another motors cop is injured -> http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Freak-Accident-as-Another-Motorcycle-Cop-Crashes-During-Funeral-Procession-123142608.html

so...I am not wanting to start a Cop bashing thread, and I don't agree with some of what Sean Smith said in this piece -> http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2011/06/motor-cop-injured-in-memorial-for-motor-cop-killed-in-head-on-collision-with-motor-cop/

but I do agree with some aspects of reasoning...

here's a couple of choice quotes...

..."this is obviously a very serious issue. Police officers, who’s salary, health insurance and workers comp are paid for by tax payers are injuring and killing themselves due to negligence. Yes, it’s a sad a terrible tragedy, especially for their friends and families....

.... Over the past year or so, I have been seeing officers, especially the CHP, wearing better riding gear. Convertible helmets, real gloves and armored clothing make for a motor cop that is less intimidating and much easier for me to respect than the CHiPs look of the past.

I think it would make officers safer and possibly more respectable in terms of when they might preach about wearing gear if and when they do. This is going on the principle that officers should be leading by example, which might be a better thing in this particular case. Officers of departments in Europe certainly wear more gear than most motors cops here and seem to be as effective in doing their jobs as here.

[sbrguy]

i say let the cops wear what they are required by their job to wear,

if their superiors don't think their lives are worth it to equip them with better gear or at least allow them the freedom to purchase on their own better gear to wear while still clearly showing that they are police officers, well then that is something they should take up with their superiors.  or maybe it  shows how much their superiors value their safety or lack there of.

at the very least it is good that they are following the law and wearing helmets, the rest is up to them.

[Pip]

Just a simple comparison.


English Policeman


Indiana Policeman

[hbliam]

-My wife was at the original funeral for the 35 year old Officer that died of cancer. This accident on the way to the cemetery was a tragedy but it was rider error and had nothing to do with gear.  

-"This time around, the Cypress officer broke both his wrists when a truck turned in front of him. That’s the kind of average, everyday accident we all get in and all prepare for. How would he have fared if he’d been wearing racing gloves? Or if he didn’t have to frantically get his hands out in front of him to protect his exposed face from the ground?"

Last I checked gloves don't protect you from breaking your wrists. And would he prefer he slammed his full face helmet head into the ground? Sheesh...The author is grasping at straws.

-They should wear better gear. Some do. In Huntington Beach I've seen them in full face helmets.

-I don't know what point the author it trying to make with the "salary, health insurance, workers comp....paid by taxpayers" comment. First, cops are taxpayers too. Second, they don't all use the City supplied health insurance, I and many of my co-workers don't. Third, if they do use it, the fact that he gets hurt doesn't cost taxpayers more, that's what the insurance is for in the first place. Fourth, we pay into the workers comp pool just like the rest of the working world. And fifth, if he dies it doesn't cost you anything anyway so why bring it up?

Both articles by Sean Smith are poorly written, poorly developed, attempts to capitalize on someone else's tragedy. I'm not impressed. An article about properly equipping US motor cops would be fine. Using two accidents that aren't gear related is not.

[sbrguy]

i have to say it is pretty cool that the english police use the high vis yello and such and it is cool to see that they wear what is basically a full leather gear, modular helmets and looks like sidi race boots.

i can only imagine the german moto police must wear nothing but even more high protection gear with being on the autobahn.

[zooom]

Both articles by Sean Smith are poorly written, poorly developed, attempts to capitalize on someone else's tragedy. I'm not impressed. An article about properly equipping US motor cops would be fine. Using two accidents that aren't gear related is not.

AND THAT is where I am trying to steer this discussion...as I said...I don't necessarily agree with some of the dribble he wrote...but I do agree that Motors officers should be better protected,regardless of circumstance, for the eventuality of soccer moms and a fate none of us are exempt from.

[hbliam]

AND THAT is where I am trying to steer this discussion...as I said...I don't necessarily agree with some of the dribble he wrote...but I do agree that Motors officers should be better protected,regardless of circumstance, for the eventuality of soccer moms and a fate none of us are exempt from.

I have seen some local motors wearing what looked like an Aerostich jumpsuit. That's a start. There has to be some type of consideration for heat though. Wearing full gear PLUS a Kevlar vest would likely make you pass out from heat exhaustion in the summer.

[DucofWestwood]

i too have always wondered why the cops didn't wear more gear.  i wear way more than the average rider, and i'm only commuting an hour or so per day; so if i were one of them spending all day on the bike i'd certainly want to be protected.

when i did some poking around i found a moto-cop talking about it on another moto-forum ... he was saying that most of their work is actually off the bike (writing tickets, directing traffic, etc., etc) and they want to (a) appear approachable / non-threatening (hence the open-face helmets) and (b) make it easy to get on/off the bike quickly, access things in their pockets, etc. without having to worry about a lot of gear getting in the way.

so that's the rationale he provided. 

i envy their skills and training.  i don't envy their exposure to the asphalt.

[Slide Panda]

I have seen some local motors wearing what looked like an Aerostich jumpsuit.

It probably was. Aerostitch makes gear specifically for police:
http://www.policesuit.com/

It seems that there is a trend towards the euro 'style' (my words for a lack of better) and away from the CHiPs look in the states. This goes for gear and bikes. I'm seeing more metric bikes for US police as well.

I've asked this question in the past - and the intimidation/approachability was referenced as reasoning for open faced helmets. Not a very sturdy argument IMO, as modulars let the public see plenty of the officers face, and offer more protection than a 1/2 or 3/4 helmet. Plus some sport goodies like a integrated flashlight.

So it seems to me that there is a trend, how ever slow it might be towards the European example in the US   

[redxblack]

I don't know what point the author it trying to make with the "salary, health insurance, workers comp....paid by taxpayers" comment. First, cops are taxpayers too. Second, they don't all use the City supplied health insurance, I and many of my co-workers don't. Third, if they do use it, the fact that he gets hurt doesn't cost taxpayers more, that's what the insurance is for in the first place. Fourth, we pay into the workers comp pool just like the rest of the working world. And fifth, if he dies it doesn't cost you anything anyway so why bring it up?

Cheers! 

I'm a public employee in a state where the legislature and governor want to make us sacrificial lambs. The illogical arguments in that article are pretty routine in the comments section of our newspapers' online editions.

And as a rider, I like cops wearing better gear in practice because I'd like them to be safer in their workplace. I hate the idea of people having to take risks on the job.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

Just a simple comparison.


English Policeman


Indiana Policeman

I call bullshit, no way Indiana has polished and chromed out harley's with half helmets and oldschool riding boots as their standard MC police gear.


that said, here in portland oregon the cops have winter dress and summer dress. summer dress forces them to wear t shirts and slacks they dont even have the option of buying better gear.

[arai_speed]

I don't know - we have some pretty geared up CHP in my neck of the wood  

[ItsaDuc]

I call bullshit, no way Indiana has polished and chromed out harley's with half helmets and oldschool riding boots as their standard MC police gear.

Um, that is exactly the same here in Michigan. Chrome and half helmets.

[kopfjäger]

I think that they, like anyone else should wear what gear they choose.

[jsd2]

The moto police in the county (Monroe County NY) I live in look exactly like the cop shown from Indiana.  Even the same boots.

Jim