Tulsa Officers Train To Become Motorcycle Certified

Several police officers from across the state are training in Tulsa to become certified motorcycle officers. 

These officers have been outside training for much of the day,  preparing for their final test.

Tulsa Police Corporal David Crow is one of two supervisors for the Tulsa Police Motorcycle Unit.

"I've been on motorcycles my whole life," Crow said. "I love the freedom of being on the road and I can't believe I get paid to do this job some days".

Crow's job for the last nine days was to help train officers some from other departments.

"We are in day nine of a 10-day motor school training new motor operators for the state of Oklahoma," Crow said.

"Today they were practicing in a parking lot off of Highway 169, bobbing and weaving through cones, and tight patterns, trying to simulate real world situations from stopping suddenly to defensive riding skills," Crow said.

"We want them to be able to operate a motorcycle, without thinking about it, just like a person shifting a car from park to drive," he said.

Many of the officers will take part in traffic enforcement, and funeral escorts for fallen soliders or officers.

All are volunteers who have gone through an interview process, Corporal Crow says to be successful, training is crucial.

"You have to be able to manipulate an 850 pound bike, at just a walking pace, you have to be able to control it balance the clutch and the throttle, you have to apply just the right amount of brake," Crow said.

Those officers took the written portion of the test today. They take the riding test tomorrow.