Amherst Police - In Partnership with Our Community

In 2001 the Amherst Police Department learned of a lease program offered by Harley-Davidson that allows a police department to lease a Road King Police Edition motorcycle for $1000.00 a year. The purchase price for this motorcycle is $17,000.00. The first year purchase of equipment for emergency lights and siren is $1029.00. The first oil change and service is included.

In the fall of 2001 Chief Dillon leased the motorcycle and the Amherst Police Department has added another vehicle and dimension to the department for $1,000.00 a year.

Dale Barris from On The Edge Honda / Suzuki in Amherst donated five helmets to our new motorcycle program. Rich Wolf, from Rich’s Auto Body, donated his time and materials and painted the all white helmets, the more traditional black and white police helmet.

The training is offered through Cleveland Police Department Motorcycle Unit, at no cost. The Cleveland Police Department has taken courses at several prestigious training institutions and they have taken the best from those institutions and developed a very difficult course to pass. Officers passing this course demonstrate their ability to handle the police motorcycle. Amherst Police Department officers trained with Lorain Police Officers and their motorcycles before going to Cleveland to be certified. The course has been set up at the old Ames store in Amherst. Police departments from all over Lorain County have come over to train at the course set up the old Ames store. This has allowed the department to build even better relations with area departments by spending time together training.

Patrolman for the City of Amherst will be offered a chance to join the motorcycle unit. This will be offered to officers that perform at a high level and will be used to reward that performance. By adding this type of vehicle to the patrol fleet the department is able to add another dimension to drawing qualified candidates to our department. It also has the potential to keep officers in our department because we can offer so many different facets to the patrol division.

The motorcycle made its debut in the Memorial Day parade in Amherst. The motorcycle will be used in parades, traffic enforcement, and regular patrol in the city of Amherst.

It has been gratifying while on patrol in the city of Amherst to hear so many positive comments from the citizens. The motorcycle allows for more contact with citizens and has the officer more out in the open and not in a cruiser.

To better ensure the safety of our officers the Amherst Police Department added LED Lighting to both Road Kings in 2004.

These LED Lights are much brighter than the original equipment first purchased for the two motors. Instead of just the blue rear strobe light there are now lights on the rear of the Motorola radio box and also on the sides of the box. This helps motorists see officers from the side as they approach an intersection or they are going down a ramp. All of the LED lights have a flash pattern that attracts the motorist’s attention more than the original equipment.

LED Lighting does not require an external power source as strobes do so the price is basically the same and these lights are much easier on the motor battery.

The Amherst Police Department is proud to announce two additions to our motorcycle patrol. Ptls. Troy Donaldson and Kurt Oehlstrom successfully completed their motorcycle training with the Cleveland Police Department Motorcycle Unit on 5/8/03. The training is provided by CPD at no cost to the city. The training allows new officers to pick up riding tips from seasoned officers from Cleveland PD and other police departments from around the area.

The officers had to complete 10 events by passing through all of them 3 out of 4 times. The course is designed to test the officer in very slow tight turns while traveling between 1 and 5 mph. The training is performed rain or shine and transiting through the course while it is raining, as it did this week, is even more difficult.

Officers Donaldson and Oehlstrom, will now go through a short field training program with a field training motorcycle officer and they will then be out on the streets serving the Amherst Public on the police motorcycles.

This brings the total to five officers trained to operate the police Harley-Davidson Road King. The other three Officers are Capt. Seger, Lt. Kucirek, and Ptl. Balog.

There is a rumor that this may be the next Motorcycle officer for the APD, but it is just a rumor, we’ll keep you posted.