Ellsworth to patrol on Harley

ELLSWORTH – Local police officers are gearing up for the city’s first motorcycle patrol.

City officials have agreed to lease a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle for traffic patrols this summer, making it the first police department in Hancock County to have a motorcycle patrol.

Ellsworth Police Chief John DeLeo said Wednesday the cycle has been ordered and may be delivered as early as May.

The motorcycle will help officers maneuver more quickly through city streets and make it easier to monitor traffic, particularly from small spaces, DeLeo said. It also gets better gas mileage than a police cruiser.

“With the makeup of Ellsworth as an urban area, one of our basic problems is traffic control, especially in the summer,” he said. “The motorcycle can sit in a smaller space than a cruiser.”

The city will acquire the motorcycle through a special Harley-Davidson company program that leases motorcycles to police departments for $1 for the first year. The lease price increases to $1,800 for each subsequent year, but because there is no contract to sign, the city can opt out of the deal with no penalty if the motorcycle patrol doesn’t meet their expectations, City Manager Stephen J. Gunty said.

While the motorcycle will be primarily for traffic enforcement and accident investigations, it may also have a positive effect on community relations, Gunty said.

“The [motorcycle] officers are viewed as more approachable,” he said. “We envision it to be a permanent aspect of our public safety equation. If we can increase the type of tools that allow us to provide more community services at a reasonable cost, then we are in favor of that.”

DeLeo said he has considered adding a motorcycle patrol to the department in the past but never had enough officers to make the plan feasible. But last year, the City Council agreed to add a patrolman to the department. Now, DeLeo said he has the manpower to make it work.

“I’m excited about it,” he said.

Also, the department has requested $12,000 in the 2005-2006 budget to buy its first police dog. If approved, the money would cover the cost of the dog, including a guarantee on the animal’s health, as well as training, overtime and transportation expenses.