Motorcycles

The history of police technology is filled with examples in which police had to catch up with society or even with criminals. For example, police cars weren't common until after World War II. Even the federal government lacked armored cars for dignitaries, so Franklin Delano Roosevelt had to ride in Al Capone's seized 1928 Cadillac V-8 Town Sedan to the joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The car was fitted with inch-thick glass and lined with nearly 1,360kgs of armor plating, made of asbestos-wrapped steel plate embedded with pieces of lead. Reportedly, FDR rode it to the joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. See http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/Al-Capones-bulletproof-car-for-sale and
http://voices.yahoo.com/al-capones-armored-1928-cadillac-was-used-president-365026.html?cat=27.

Motorcycles were a very different story. In 1908, the first police Harley Davidson hit the streets. That was before civilians could buy one. By 1930, more than 3,000 agencies had Harley Davidson motorcycles, and 3,400 still do today. The company was saved by the police market, and it is still proud of the history to this day.

Motorcycles were in some sense the perfect mobility technology of the early 20th century. They were highly mobile, fast, and inexpensive relative to cars. You couldn't bring a bad guy back to the station, hence the paddy wagon, but it was a perfect complement to patrol in a rapidly suburbanizing country.

Police motorcades--replete with the requisite following motorcycles--became universally associated with dignitaries and momentous events. In the film of John F. Kennedy's assassination, the motorcycle cops are seen all about the motorcade and the president's car. It's one of the few details of the scene that isn't commonly remarked upon, let alone debated ad nauseum. That's because the police motorcycle had become so expected and universal by that time.

There is an interesting analogy to the modern Segway. Segway was introduced as a personal transportation vehicle for the mass market. But their most important market has been in public safety. During my time at NIJ, we did a lot to introduce law enforcement to the Segway (through the work of Mike O'Shea and the tech centers). At first, many of us were skeptical about the application, but the technology took on a life of its own very quickly. Heck, it even was featured in Mall Cop. The Segway has been adopted by a broad range of the public safety community, including bomb squads.

Like the motorcycle, Segways are highly mobile, relatively inexpensive compared to alternatives, and appropriate for the times. In airports, growing downtowns, and other pedestrian-friendly locales, the Segways are a perfect complement to patrol. Segways will never be as important as motorcycles, but they do play a useful role in many applications.

So, when the technology fits, police can take risks and be first adopters. All that is necessary is a company willing to make a long-term commitment to the public safety market and police leaders willing to take a chance to meet a real need. 

For more information on law enforcement technology training and consulting, see my company web site at www.coptechllc.com.