how come cops don't wear full gear?

[GO.]

They should wear full-faced helmets with a mustache glued onto it.

x2

 

[espitbullpup]

Cops always have motorcycle boots on anyway which hinders them being able to run after someone unless they tell the person to wait while they put on some Nike Air Jordan's in the saddlebags. It does make sense to have everything covered. There's body armor that fits like a T-Shirt and could fit under those nice circus tights that they wear. They all wear gloves and can function perfectly fine firing their weapon or fighting someone with them on. I read about motor patrol Cops going down all of the time. The CHP lost two motor patrol officers last year. They are on the CHP website. Oakland also had a motor patrol officer ran over last year on his way home in full uniform and bike (killed).

 

[espitbullpup]

I have some Alpinestars pants made out of textile that would look cool as hell on a cop and give them protection and the freedom to run after someone more than the circus tights they wear.. But I guess they are too smart to ever crash or want to break tradition right?

 

[bakadoh]

motocops pay their own way...

It's my understanding the cops have to pay for their own gear, and maybe even the bike. Isn't this true? Or departments have to come up with their own funding source for the bikes correct? Can a Leo confirm or deny this for me?

One UC berkeley moto-cop uses the areostitch suit that I've seen, and on my commute through berkeley, El Cerrito, Albany, and Richmond (if I take that way)... almost ALL of the bike cops I've seen, are on traffic duty... if someone "runs" it'll be in a vechile, so gear or no... mobility isn't 100% the issue.

One thing I did notice, because of their gear, when the temperature gets cold, the bike officers go away, fast... So quite complaining. Of course I've seen them come back in cars, quite a bit later of course.

And hey it's a job... anything that keeps them in a bit of a good mood, has to work out in the long run right? I'd rather be pulled over by a happy Leo in what I consider "unsafe" gear, than a pissed off sweaty Leo in a full suit, once the temp gets up there and the sweat is running down places, there's NO way you'd talk your way out of a ticket, period.

 

[espitbullpup]

Re: Cochese

Walnut Creek and Pleasanton oinkers are VASTLY overpaid. I'm refinancing a WC pigs house right now. Pay them like the rest of the lousy public servants we have to tolerate and I'm sure there would be more than enou
gh money created over to revamp their gear.

LOL Many of them are making six figures. Pretty good for a job where you by and large only need a H.S. diploma or a GED.

 

[espitbullpup]

Re: motocops pay their own way...

It's my understanding the cops have to pay for their own gear, and maybe even the bike. Isn't this true? Or departments have to come up with their own funding source for the bikes correct? Can a Leo confirm or deny this for me?

One UC berkeley moto-cop uses the areostitch suit that I've seen, and on my commute through berkeley, El Cerrito, Albany, and Richmond (if I take that way)... almost ALL of the bike cops I've seen, are on traffic duty... if someone "runs" it'll be in a vechile, so gear or no... mobility isn't 100% the issue.

One thing I did notice, because of their gear, when the temperature gets cold, the bike officers go away, fast... So quite complaining. Of course I've seen them come back in cars, quite a bit later of course.

And hey it's a job... anything that keeps them in a bit of a good mood, has to work out in the long run right? I'd rather be pulled over by a happy Leo in what I consider "unsafe" gear, than a pissed off sweaty Leo in a full suit, once the temp gets up there and the sweat is running down places, there's NO way you'd talk your way out of a ticket, period.

Actually I have noticed that the motocycle cops seem to have more of an attitude than the car patrol ones. They seem to think they are on a CHips episode.

 

[espitbullpup]

Re: Re: Cochese

Think about what your life would be like without these "lousy public servants," you selfish prick. You'd be crying for someone to help your pathetic ass when shit gets ugly. Now go back to your office and do whatever useless job you do.

It could be like the wild west. I'd say fuck it and walk around with an AK and body armor. I'd protect myself just fine then without a PoPo trying to arrest me for carrying a gun to protect myself.

 

[espitbullpup]

links

I can fully answer this question for you:

Because we don't, quit worrying about it, on the average very few motorcops go down and even then, its very low speed. Most accidents on police bikes do not involve much road rash, but usually do involve broken bones, that any type of armor would not have saved you from.

It has nothing to do with what the individual officers image is. It does have to do with public perception. The public in california has such a problem with police having functional equipment that they are willing to sacrifice the safety of officers, just to keep us from looking scary.

There you are, that is your answer.

To the person who said....hey, they get injured and we have to pay for it. Yes, and I pay too, and I have to pay into workers comp when your ass gets carpel tunnel (spelling sorry) and cant function at work cause your hand happens to have a little pain in it.

To the shithead who said we are overpaid....Get stabbed (like I have), get shot at (like I have) and go back to that job every week for 30 years, knowing that you are going to put up with that kind of behavior from people.

You ever invite a cop to your house to say hi or have a cup of coffee, NO!

You "invite" us over when you can't keep control of your own life. You invite us over when you have "usually" (and not everyone, im being jaded at the moment) made a personal fuck up in your judgement and cause yourself a mishap. Yes dumbass, you need to take your backpack to the bathroom with you in the cafe....dont leave it at the table while you take a shit in the bathroom....It won't be there when you get back dumbass. The fact that you had 10 credit cards, 1000 dollars, your laptop, and a pocket pc is just YOUR fuckup for leaving it there. So, quit bitching at us because you fucked up and left your shit laying around!

End of rant...sorry, tired of hearing the overpaid thing, when I barely pull down enough to cover my bills, after taxes.

But the gear thing. I don't think there have been enough bad things happen to motor cops for the state to want to pay to change it. I know for a fact that if the state started buying us 1000 dollar protective suits and the media heard about it, there would be nothing but outcry from the public on the "waste" of money the taxpayers are being forced to pay.

But then again....stop giving handouts to people who refuse to work, because they know they are going to get a handout from the state...and maybe they could foot the bill from that.

brash

Here are some links:


http://www.motorcops.com/news/february_05.asp
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/memorial2000.html#2004
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/memorial2000.html#2003

The first link has an article about the CHP and its 529 motorcycle patrol force losing a couple of motor patrol officers in the last year or two. It also talks about some serious injuries. The other articles talk about other police motor patrol deaths and injuries. You may say that the facts are that most injuries are broken bones, but it only takes that one serious accident to put you in a hospital on life support, paralyzed or crippled for life, or dead. It is recognized by the departments that motor patrol is far more risky than car patrol that is why there is a slight pay increase for it. It doesn't matter if you are experienced or are a police officer. A car that doesn't see you doesn't care. The links that I have placed here prove this to be true. If you are a person with a family and kids you may want to rethink motor patrol. The Oakland cop who died last year was. I hear people say, "Oh well he died doing what he loved." Well I say that is bullshit. You can live and do what you love more which is raising your kids if you have any and living a long life.

 

[tzrider]

But the gear thing. I don't think there have been enough bad things happen to motor cops for the state to want to pay to change it. I know for a fact that if the state started buying us 1000 dollar protective suits and the media heard about it, there would be nothing but outcry from the public on the "waste" of money the taxpayers are being forced to pay.

Interesting, when you consider the same public generally supports helmet laws and so forth. I guess one key difference is helmet laws require private citizens to purchase their own helmets. FWIW, I would completely support public funding of protective gear for cops. Apart from the protection it would offer the motocop, it would also set an example for other motorcyclists. By contrast, current motocop attire proclaims that protective gear is uneccessary.

I wonder about your assertion that gear would not prevent broken bones. I think it could in a lot of cases. The impact protection of armor is one obvious way, but riders who are wearing gear are *much* more willing to relax in a fall, thereby distributing impact over a larger percentage of their bodies, which reduces peak forces on smaller areas. To be sure, broken bones are inevitable in some crashes, but my own experience says gear makes a difference.

Your post sounds a little fatalistic, like, "that's just the way it is." If you had a choice, would you prefer to see motocops wearing protective gear? Or do you see disadvantages that offset the benefits? If police generally are happy with their current situation, fine. If they feel they would be better off with different riding gear, it would be interesting to see if any sort of public petition could appeal to a department to consider a change.

 

[Blue Buddha]

Why not, you ask..?

I can't speak for all departments, but at mine any and all uniform items have to be approved before we can wear them. Most departments have uniform regulations. Some are more flexible than others.

This becomes a problem when "tradition" takes precidence over functionality. You're right. The boots are a holdover from mounted officers. You know how much they cost? $3-400. Now, if you were to spend that money on boots, do you think you would be able to get a pretty good pair of motorcycle boots? The pants are around $200. Next time you see a motorcop, look closely at the pants. Then look at a woman getting ready to ride a horse (that part should be easy!). Almost exactly the same, aren't they?

I guess my point is, many officers want to wear better protective gear, even if they had to pay out of their own pocket. A big part of the problem, is what the department will allow them to wear. And most departments are so caught up in tradition and image that nothing changes.

But, some changes are being made. I hear that Santa Clara SO has flip-up helmets, and I think that the Sonoma SO is allowed to wear pretty much whatever they want if it is functional.

 

[h2v7]

Having crashed in full-leathers, I can state for the record, that I probably did my fastest ever 100m dash chasing after the fucker that knocked me off, before my bike had even stopped sliding - and that's NOT an exageration.

that one made me chuckle

 

[TomTomClub]

Re: Re: Cochese

Nice attitude. Hope ya never really need an officer.

I always get a good laugh listening to cops when they zealously enforce restrictions on a law-abiding citizen's ability to defend himself (concealed carry laws), and then expect you to thank them for showing up ten minutes after the crime they couldn't stop in the first place.

 

[license2ill]

The "public perception" argument is complete bullhsit, whether it's true of some decisions at some level or not. Whoever planted that one in the heads of other cops is a complete moron or jsut making shit up.

 

[Killermarmot]

Re: motocops pay their own way...

It's my understanding the cops have to pay for their own gear, and maybe even the bike. Isn't this true? Or departments have to come up with their own funding source for the bikes correct? Can a Leo confirm or deny this for me?

I'm not LE but one of my best buddies is CHP in sonoma county and he's always pitchin a fit about having to buy extra pairs of those uniform pants and such cause their captian bitches at the "public perception" of a police officer with faded pants or scuffed shoes. So I know they buy uniforms. His firearm is supplied until they get a reissue of a new gun or retire then tehy can buy it. (why anyone would voulantirly take one of those auto smiths is beyond me they should all pack sigs.) Anyhooo. I would imagine in that respect they would have to buy their own gear and it would all have to be the same. I asked his sergeant who is a moto cop when we were hanging out the other night and he said that when it gets cold they have aerostitch (or something similar he didn't specify) over suits but those amount mostly to just cold weather gear not extra protection and he had to buy his.

On the "public perception" argument, I've heard a couple other things from CHiPies that they're not allowed to do that just seem rediculous.
1) no mirrored sunglasses
2) buckshot in the shotguns instead of rifled slugs cause they "sound more friendly"
there were others but they're escaping my weak mind at the moment.

Anyway, if they wanna wear gear I'd imagine they could find a way to work it into authorized uniforms and if it were an issue with the officers i'd also imagine their union would be all over that shit. I always sorta wonder why they aren't wearing atleast aerostitch outfits with flip up visor style helmets but shrug it off for the dozens of reasons that have already been listed.

 

[zpyro]

Brash you are invited to my house and have a cup of joe. Now there you don't have that excuse no more

I'd invite cops over if I knew any that weren't gay and trying to get at my ass

 

[faz]

I personally appreciate the work policemen and women do, and don't think they are paid nearly enough for the kind of work they have to do. I totally despise the less than respectful terms that some people use when referring to cops.

As far as the gear goes, I hope they change the laws to allow for more protective gear, if that is what the officers want. One thing that I didn't see anyone mention, is the fact that 'other' people drive beautifully in presence of a cop, so the potential for being harmed by others is reduced significantly when a cop bike is being ridden.

 

[Mrwoo]

I was wondering if M.C. Leo's are hard core motorcyclist. Figured if they choose to ride a M.C. for a living then figure they ride outside of work for a living. Then if that is so then wouldn't they want the best protection possible? Also I'm assuming that M.C. Leo's don't do track days??

 

[zpyro]

One thing that I didn't see anyone mention, is the fact that 'other' people drive beautifully in presence of a cop, so the potential for being harmed by others is reduced significantly when a cop bike is being ridden.

that's not true at all. some are utterly oblivious to their surroundings. I think it's MM4L who said that he's pulled over plenty of people who cut him off, and are surprised when they get tickets

 

[Don Tuite]

Where's Enchanter? IIRC, the instructor who taught the MSF basic course in January with him said he had a buddy who was responsible for gear for the Berkeley motor cops and that he was transitioning them to real protective gear.

Don

 

[Bikerx260]

You all should ask Dougmo about his Helimot 'CHP' suit and full face helmet! Helmut uses it as a display at the bike shows. He has been trying to get them to go with a 1 or 2 piece suit for officer safety.

As far as budget cuts go, that to me is a red herring issue. Wonder how much budget they have to take care of the broken bodies after major spills, and why not be ahead of that vicious cycle.