The Associated Press reported last week that New York City's police department is testing out a new electric scooter called the "Vectrix" to replace their fleet of gas-powered motorcycles.

The report says that the City's finest feel guilty about their heavy footprint on the environment, and are interested in giving up some range to answer the call of Al Gore...

The Vectrix can only travel 40 to 60 miles per charge, but police officials said they may be willing to sacrifice some range for zero emissions.

Labels: Police Motorcycles, Scooters, Vectrix Scooters

The Sacramento Bee reports that the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department won an award for the "Best Police Motorcycle Design".

The department has 19 BMW sport touring motorcycles outfitting with special lights and computers designed to locate bad guys and access records...

The sport-touring type motorcycles, which can reach top speeds of 130 mph, have been outfitted with alley lights, a series of three LED lights on each side of the bike that the deputy can turn on to look in yards or vehicles. While alley lights are used on patrol cars, this is the first time they've been used on law enforcement motorcycles, Thiessen said.

Laptop computers are mounted in the rear radio trunk of the motorcycles, complete with air cards, to allow deputies access to information about individuals' probation, parole and warrant status from the department's databases while out in the field.

Labels: Police Motorcycles

I guess I didn't realize that Harley-Davidson makes police edition Sportster 883's...


http://www.harley-davidson.com/....pl_spxl883§ion=police

Perhaps you'd have to call it a "Copster". It comes decked out with hardbags, a trunk, and white/black police paint. The passing lamps double as blue & red flashers.

Imagine the HORROR on a motorcycle policeman's face when he learns that he's getting this instead of a Road King!

Labels: Harley Davidson Sportster, Police Motorcycles

The City of Tigard, Oregon bought a new motorcycle for one of its policemen, Rod Morse. It's a Honda ST1300, a sport touring model.

A reporter for The Oregonian newspaper reported that folks are totally unaware that it's a police motorcycle, and as a result continue on speeding and running red lights.

Commuters speed, run red lights and drive recklessly in front of Morse more often now than when he rode the Kawasaki, he said. One driver trying to figure out whether the Honda was a police motorcycle was so focused on his rearview mirror that he drove through a stop sign. The resulting ticket became proof that, yes, an officer was riding that sleek bike.

Labels: Honda ST1300, Police Motorcycles

The IndUS Business Journal writes earlier this month that New Orleans' fleet of 55 police motorcycles are now equipped with handheld devices that allow officers to issue citations.

Before a product like Infokall's, a police officer in New Orleans-like officers across the country--would go back to their car or motorcycle to radio in information on a driver or check the information through computerized national databases. Infokall's wireless application connects to these databases allowing the officer to take a license, swipe it through a hand-held computer and initiate a check on that person.

The hand-held device includes a bar code reader, which also enables the officer to scan the vehicle identification number of the car to check if the vehicle or the license plate were stolen. "The information is right there," Choudhary said.

And the word seems to be getting around. Choudhary said that the company just got a contract with the Temple police department in Texas, a sherrif's department in Florida and a police department in Colorado.

According to Choudhary, an average city can lose 15 percent to 45 percent of the revenue from all tickets issued because of mistakes.

Labels: Law Technology, Louisiana, Police Motorcycles