For people who don't ride, big motorcycles may seem imposing and difficult to operate. But for the RCMP's traffic enforcement officers on two wheels, bikes provide them with the flexibility to go where police cars can't and offer a surprising sense of anonymity.
Insp. Dale Somerville, officer in charge of British Columbia's South East District Traffic Services, says some motorists still don't recognize police motorcycles.
"They just don't see enough of us on the road,
" says Somerville, who adds the RCMP motorbikes, such as the Harley Road King or the BMW R1200, take up 20 square feet of space. Cars take up much more.
"You can pull up to a car, right beside the driver's window, and see he's talking on the phone. They'll finally get it in a few seconds and realize: I just got caught distracted driving,
" says Somerville.
Learning to ride
The RCMP veteran, who has spent 21 years in traffic services, also helps train new riders.
During their first week, candidates must prove they have the skills to drive at slow and high speeds, take tight turns, practise their braking and pass a standardized skill course that encompasses all the lessons learned. This course is an annual certification that all RCMP riders in B.C. must complete to continue motorcycle duties.
If successful, newcomers work on riding techniques, officer-violator contact, conducting enforcement and safety issues.
"By the end of the first week we want to know that you're comfortable,
" says Somerville.
RCMP Cst. Theresa Gajecki has been around bikes for years and is a certified motorcycle instructor with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. When she joined the RCMP's Motorcycle Traffic Enforcement Unit in 2015, it was a smooth transition.
"It's an amazing experience,
" says Gajecki. "To be a woman, to be in uniform, to be visible, to be doing something I love and enforce the rules of the road.
"
And the roads she patrolled — the commuter-filled highways of B.C.'s Lower Mainland — are busy.
"What I really liked was the nature and high volume of traffic on Highway 1,
" says Gajecki, who left the motorcycle unit last year. "It could be bumper to bumper for a few hours at a time, but I would go in between vehicles to catch distracted drivers. It (the bike) is just a really great tool for police.
"
Cst. Mike Scherpenisse, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the biking world. But he says that lack of experience may have helped out his training.
"What benefited me the most was that I didn't have any bad habits,
" says Scherpenisse. "I was kind of a clean slate for them to teach. I was willing to learn and I wanted to be there.
"
Powerful traffic tool
He calls bikes a powerful traffic enforcement vehicle.
"If we have a serious call, the bike can get there so much faster just because of the ability to get through traffic,
" says the Kamloops, B.C.-based officer.
Sgt. Glen Croutch, who's worked on the escort team for Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, says the manoeuverability of motorcycles means drivers can access areas more quickly and detect potential criminal acts that police in patrol cars might not see.
"If there's a call for service at a park, sometimes it's gated off,
" says Croutch, who ended his riding career last year to take a promotion but still acts as an instructor. "General duty members would have to run across, but I can drive.
"
And because police riders do their work outside, it's easier to smell certain odours.
"When people are smoking marijuana in their vehicle, I know,
" says Croutch. "That's because I'm out in the fresh air and it's super easy to smell.
"
Scherpenisse also credited the bike with his renewed interest in policing.
"I found after doing 12 years of general policing I was getting into a bit of a lull, but getting on the bike has given me a whole new sense of energy and happiness,
" he says. "I've passed up promotion application opportunities because I don't want to leave the bike.
"