Two cycles hit streets Monday reviving traffic enforcement
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Morgan Hill – Residents of Morgan Hill asked and the police department has answered by beefing up its traffic enforcement team with two motorcycle officers now patrolling the city.
Their presence on the streets revives the department’s traffic enforcement team, something the city has been without for several years.
The emphasis on traffic is in response to Morgan Hill residents’ comments on a recent city survey, according to Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Terrie Booten.
“The population increase, an increase in traffic around our schools and the ever-present speeders in our neighborhoods all combine to make traffic enforcement a hot topic,” said Booten.
The officers will focus on enforcing traffic laws, investigating serious injury and fatal collisions that occur in Morgan Hill and augment the patrol force, when necessary, Booten said.
There have been no motorcycle officers in Morgan Hill for more than 14 years, Booten said, and the department has had no dedicated traffic enforcement team for more than three years.
“This is something that the public has requested,” she said. “In our survey, residents overwhelmingly commented on traffic enforcement, the lack of it, they said. Our patrol officers have done their best over the years to keep the city roadways safe, but calls for service and case investigations have reduced traffic enforcement priorities until now.”
MHPD Officers Max Cervantez and Steve Pennington passed a five-week training course offered by the city of Palo Alto, Booten said, and they began their new traffic duties Monday on the two 2005 Honda ST 1300s.
“They’ll be making their presence known very quickly,” she said.
The new traffic enforcement team will not increase the department’s budget, according to Booten. The officers are not new to the force; they have been reassigned to traffic. The motorcycles were bought by the department in lieu of two new police cruisers that were already in the budget as part of a the anticipated purchase of six new vehicles.
The city chose the motorcycles for their price, reliability and suitability for the job, Booten said. They are equipped with standard emergency gear and a radar gun for locating speeders.
Motorcycles are valuable in traffic enforcement because of their maneuverability, according to the officers. Officers can drive them places they would ordinarily have to go on foot.
The officers are “seasoned motorcycle riders,” Booten said. But, Pennington and Cervantez said riding for pleasure and riding as enforcement officers are completely different experiences.
“I do think that having gone through the training, it has changed the way I ride when I ride off-duty,” Pennington said.
Residents with traffic concerns can contact the MHPD via the Web site, www.morganhill.ca.gov using links “Contact the City” – “City Inquire/Feedback” and “Traffic Enforcement,” or by calling the traffic hotline at (408) 776-0460.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
