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Joe Moquin's ride is a lot more impressive, and Norwalks police presence more versatile thanks to three Harley Davidson Road King police edition motorcycles added to the department's fleet as a traffic enforcement unit.
"It'll be another tool to slow people down in this town," said Mayor Richard A. Moccia, who added that he always thought the police department needed motorcycles for parades and events such as funerals.
"Basically, on patrol you can take the motorcycle anywhere a person can walk," Moquin said, "as opposed to a patrol car, where you have to get out and walk around. These are much more versatile." [They're good in housing projects, can get in and around the schools, and get closer on the sidewalks.]
The department picked up two of the motorcycles last week. They were paid for by a Department of Justice grant. The third is being acquired with drug forfeiture money and is currently having radar installed.
Moquin and Officer John Haggerty spent three weeks in a training program learning the ins and outs of police motorcycle work. "We had numerous times when we first started learning [where] we ended up picking up the motorcycle because you would drop it," Moquin said. "And they weigh approximately 870 to 880 pounds. So you got very tired of doing that the first three days. But eventually, once you learn the technique that was taught, you can get into a very tight radius."
Moquin has been riding for 11 years and has a Honda Shadow, a much lighter vehicle. He could ride the Harley in circles within the confines of a parking space and not hit the line. The base price of the Harleys is $15,000, he said, and they include extra equipment, such as a communications headset. Moccia said the total price for each motorcycle is $25,000.
Officer Dan Fitzmaurice will ride the third bike.
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