South Florida’s law enforcement community is still mourning the tragic deaths of three Palm Beach County motorcycle deputies. It was a severe blow to the tight-knit community known as motormen. NBC6’s Ari Odzer reports
South Florida’s law enforcement community is still mourning the tragic deaths of three Palm Beach County motorcycle deputies. It was a severe blow to the tight-knit community known as motormen.
Officers who join the motor unit know the dangers involved, they do it because they love it. They love riding motorcycles, often being the first of the first responders at an incident, and dealing with the public.
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On this day, we watched three Doral Police Officers going through training to become motormen.
“My girlfriend is super against me riding motors, especially with the recent accident, but just gotta ride, don’t think about that,” Officer Tommy Ruiz said.
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“To be a motorman, because of the weather, because it’s a 900-pound bike and it’s extremely hot here in South Florida most of the time, you really gotta want it,” said veteran motor unit officer Janssy Hernandez.
His colleague, Officer Ernesto Garciga, agreed.
“Well you gotta have a passion for it, you gotta love motorcycles,” Garciga said.
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Doral’s police chief says there are plenty of officers who have that passion. Openings in the motor unit fill up right away.
“They’re the first line of defense many times and they’re the first ones to get there and they have the ability to maneuver, they have the ability to respond, and they engage the community so they cover all facets of law enforcement,” Chief Edwin Lopez said.
When you talk to veteran motorcycle police officers, they’ll tell you the streets are more dangerous than ever before because there are more cars on the road, and more drivers distracted by texting while they drive.
“Absolutely, I think texting and driving is a huge problem, not just in our city but everywhere,” Hernandez said. “Close calls every day.”
“It’s not if you’re gonna crash, it’s when you’re gonna crash,” Garciga said.
He’s been riding, as a motorman and an instructor, for 14 years. Like most of his colleagues, he got back onto the bike after a crash.
“Took me to the hospital, I was out on crutches for about a month, when I came back to work I got back on the motor as soon as I was able to,” Garciga said.
That kind of dedication is common among officers who see membership in the motor unit as a privilege.
“It’s a great pride to work with a small team in a very tight family,” Hernandez said.
