BIKERS IN BLUE
State Police Motorcycle Unit up to speed a half century after the original was disbanded.
Published in the Asbury Park Press 09/4/05
BY A. SCOTT FERGUSON
STAFF WRITER
(STAFF PHOTO: THOMAS P. COSTELLO)
Above: Sgt. Michael Ambrosio, who proposed the revival of the State Police Motorcycle Unit, rides his motorcycle through the PNC Bank Arts Center during a concert on Wednesday.
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When Trooper Michael Ambrosio thinks about the future of the State Police Motorcycle Unit, he sees 100 custom-made Harley-Davidsons deployed throughout New Jersey.
For now, Ambrosio — a member of the unit and part of the driving force behind its re-creation — must make do with the four motorcycles the State Police purchased last year when it re-established the unit after a 50-year absence.
"It's been a really good experience during the last year, and I have to say that I hope it stays that way," said Ambrosio, 42, of Freehold Township. "The motorcycles will never take the place of a trooper's patrol car, but the motorcycles sure serve a purpose."
The spark for reviving the unit came when Ambrosio wrote his master's thesis about the original unit, saw the success of motorcycle units in other states and submitted a proposal in 2003 to Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, the State Police superintendent.
Today — just about a year later — the unit has the same four motorcycles, but seven troopers are certified to ride the motorcycles. Four troopers are on active duty at any time with the unit, which will finish the second year of its pilot program on Nov. 1.
The new unit comes as motorcycle squads have become increasingly popular with police departments during the past 10 years. From small departments like Little Silver to larger ones like Wall or Dover Township, motorcycles are now part of everyday patrols.
"It's almost like a traditional tool that has been used in the past and is now coming back," said Dover Township Lt. Mitch Little, whose department soon will have four motorcycles and eight officers.
The return of motorcycle units also reflects the public's growing obsession with motorcycles. From 1995 to 2004, the number of registered motorcycles in New Jersey has increased by about 60 percent, according to the state Motor Vehicle Commission.
Quick response
The State Police unit likely will continue to be used for traffic enforcement, homeland security, ceremonial duties and special events such as patrols at Giants Stadium and the PNC Arts Center before it is expanded, said Capt. Richard Rosell, a member of Fuentes' executive staff who tracks the pilot program.
"Right now, everything about the unit is positive, but we want to make sure that every aspect of the unit is the way it should be," Rosell said. "It's been 50 years since we had this type of unit, so we didn't have our own studies to rely on."
The State Police will decide the unit's future by the first of the year, he said.
But the advantage of police use of motorcycles has become clear.
At the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel this summer, state troopers on motorcycles could be seen weaving through crowds, driving up on the lawns and getting to hard-to-reach locations, especially during large concerts and events.
Early in August at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, two troopers on motorcycles were able to reach the site of a brewing fight before troopers in patrol cruisers could even respond to the radio call about the brawl, Ambrosio said.
Motorcycles give officers the ability to move around crowded, congested areas in less time than it takes to move a patrol car through the same spot, said Long Branch Lt. Robert Sama, who oversees his department's motorcycle unit. And, the bikes have the ability to carry more equipment than an officer on foot can, he said.
There also is a public relations bonus from the motorcycle squads.
Tom Ross, president of the Long Branch-based Jersey Shore Harley Owners Group, said the State Police unit has served as an escort during the last two years when his group had its annual Habitat for Humanity charity ride.
"I think it's a great idea, whether it's the State Police or the local police department," said Ross, 55, of Wall. "I think having them on the road also increases awareness about motorcycles and the people that ride them. I think it's sad that they (State Police) only have four. I'd hope to see more in the future."
The State Police unit was so successful that Fuentes and his staff ordered the pilot program to continue this year.
"It's just really been a great idea," said Capt. Kevin Burke, deputy commander of Troop E, which oversees the entire length of the Garden State Parkway. "These guys have really put their heart and soul into the unit."
Parkway patrol
Initially, the troopers were deployed on the parkway, covering the arts center and the stretch between Middlesex and Ocean counties, more than 40 miles.
The four troopers responded to 39 accidents and made 21 arrests, while issuing 665 traffic tickets, according to State Police records.
"What we were most proud of is that when we were on the road, there was not one fatality during our tours," Ambrosio said. "There's something about seeing the bikes that makes people slow down."
The four motorcycles are now tracked by their own identifying code, and the data — the number of stops, arrests and tickets issued — can be called up instantly. Last year, State Police did not have a separate system of tracking the unit.
Depending on the weather during the next two months, the motorcycle unit will be deployed along the parkway for several hours a day, except on the midnight shift. The unit also will be used to check for speeders on the Driscoll Bridge, near the boundary of Monmouth and Middlesex counties, Rosell said.
For most of this year, the unit was limited to duty at the arts center — the unit is based in the State Police barracks next door — and to ceremonial purposes throughout the state due to problems with the cameras originally installed on the motorcycles.
As of mid-August, new state-of-the art digital cameras have been installed, and all roadside stops by the troopers assigned to the unit can be recorded. The motorcycles also have newer, brighter emergency lights and flashers.
Safety fixes
The new unit is the re-creation of one that traces back to the founding of the New Jersey State Police in the 1920s. Troopers stopped using the motorcycles in 1954 after 17 troopers were killed in accidents, according to State Police records.
By the time Ambrosio proposed restarting the unit, most motorcycles had new safety features such as anti-lock brakes. The State Police purchased the Harley-Davidsons for about $30,000 each, according to state officials, and created a training program for unit members.
The troopers are taught how to properly stop the motorcycles, how to avoid accidents with motor vehicles, how to handle a crash if they are hit and how to maneuver the bikes through crowds and traffic.
Still, even with training and better equipment, motorcycle duty can be dangerous for officers. Last year, a Clifton motorcycle officer was struck and killed by a van he was attempting to stop. Two weeks ago, a Brick officer broke his ankle when a car pulled out in front of him.
Topic: BIKERS IN BLUE/NJSP/NJ (Read 9751 times)