2004 Annual Report - City of Fairbanks
2004 Annual Report - City of Fairbanks
2004 Annual Report - City of Fairbanks
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
F.P.D. MOTORCYCLE PROGRAM<br />
The <strong>Fairbanks</strong> Police Department continued its Police Motorcycle Program in <strong>2004</strong>. This<br />
represented our third year <strong>of</strong> operation, with Harley Davidson’s Farthest-North Outpost<br />
once again donating two brand-new Harley Davidson Police Road King (FLHPI's) bikes.<br />
The motorcycles are leased for $1.00 a month, representing a historical “token fee”<br />
through Harley Davidson’s leasing program, and are used by F.P.D. during the summer<br />
months. The Outpost fronts the capitol outlay for the bikes, and then sells the<br />
motorcycles when F.P.D. returns them in the fall. This allows a customer to purchase a<br />
Harley Davidson motorcycle that was used in “actual police service.”<br />
The Outpost’s Service Department performed nearly all<br />
maintenance and routine work on the bikes, getting our<br />
Officers back on the road as soon as possible. The<br />
<strong>Fairbanks</strong> Chapter <strong>of</strong> the Harley Owners Group took<br />
donations to initiate the program in its first year,<br />
purchasing emergency lights and equipment for the Road<br />
Kings. Community support for the program has been<br />
overwhelmingly positive, and our motor <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
have to cut conversations short to respond to calls for<br />
service, as people love to talk to the Officers about their<br />
Harleys! The Motor Officers’ dedication to the program is<br />
unparalleled; they donate their time to ensure that the<br />
bikes are waxed and washed before every parade and<br />
community event. Our three Motor Officers have<br />
purchased their own leather jackets and protective equipment, and agreed to forgo paid<br />
overtime for special events where the bikes are needed.<br />
Our Motor Squad consists <strong>of</strong> Sgt. Eric Jewkes, Officer<br />
Matt Soden, and Officer Dave Stevenson. In addition to<br />
parade and ceremonial support duties, the unit<br />
undertook a more aggressive posture in traffic<br />
enforcement in <strong>2004</strong>. Through both the “Click it or<br />
Ticket” seatbelt campaign and construction-zone traffic<br />
details, motor <strong>of</strong>ficers contributed to our overall<br />
enforcement efforts. (Much to the chagrin <strong>of</strong> many<br />
motorists, who are not used to seeing police motorcycles in the Interior and <strong>of</strong>ten don’t<br />
realize that the motorcycle is a “police bike” until the red-and-blue lights come on!)<br />
During the <strong>2004</strong> riding season, Our Motor Squad tallied twenty-two felony arrests,<br />
seventy-three misdemeanor arrests, and wrote ninety-seven traffic citations. Motor<br />
Officers were the primary responder on 797 calls for service, and backed-up other<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers on many more calls. Our Motor Officers escorted the Harley-Owner’s Group<br />
(HOGS) for the Chatanika River Run, and led the Special Olympics’ Torch Run and the<br />
Midnight Sun Run. Once again leading the Golden Day’s Parade and then patrolling<br />
back through the parade-route, we reduced injuries and potential problems along the<br />
way, providing our Motor Officers with a great assignment to mix with the members <strong>of</strong><br />
our community!<br />
Page 22