ISU Bengal

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Donald Jay Steele Officer Doug Klingler atop the new Public Safety motorcycle.

ISU's Public Safety recently acquired a "gently" used 2002 BMW R1150 RTP motorcycle. They purchased the motorcycle in hopes it would save them on maintenance and gasoline costs in comparison to their SUV's, increase their ability to make community contacts, and decrease their response time in certain circumstances.
Sergeant Doug Klingler, the Public Safety officer assigned to ride the motorcycle, stated, "With the rough calculations we have made, it is approximately 2.7 times better than the SUVs as far as the cost of operation."
He went on further to explain that the motorcycle aids in increasing community contacts.
"There is a barrier associated with an officer being in a patrol car that is taken away when he is on a motorcycle," said Klingler. "It is a lot easier to observe things and to speak more freely with people for the officer who is on a motorcycle as apposed to those in a patrol car."
Stephen Chatterton, director of Public Safety, commented on the response time of the motorcycle, stating, "The response time is a little bit faster… because it is easier for the bike to get in and out of traffic."
While the motorcycle has a number of positive attributes, it also has a few hindrances.
"Public Safety is campus security," stated a source within Public Safety who wished to remain anonymous due to the controversial nature of their comments. "It is kind of a joke that (Public Safety) are riding a motorcycle and looking like police officers when (they) are not police officers."
The main complaint the source had about the motorcycle was that, while the officer who rides that bike has a motorcycle endorsement, he is not trained to use the motorcycle in a law enforcement manner.
"He is not supposed to do traffic stops because he does not have the adequate training to do so (on a motorcycle)," stated the source. "Him riding the motorcycle without the proper certification is a liability issue for the university… and for Public Safety."
In response to the idea that the motorcycle is more approachable than a patrol car, the source further stated, "(Public Safety does) bike patrol… and the bicycles are just as - if not more - approachable than a motorcycle."
The source went on to explain that the motorcycle is largely inadequate because the majority of Public Safety's calls are for vehicle unlocks and vehicle jump-starts.
"He can't jump-start a vehicle with a motorcycle, he can't carry the cables with a motorcycle, he can't carry the unlock equipment," stated the source. "Where he could be close by to unlock or jump-start someone's vehicle if he were in an SUV, because he is on a motorcycle, he has to call a different unit in to do all this stuff for him. It might save gas, but it is also wasting time for (the officer riding it), the other officers and the people (Public Safety) serves, and (they're) really not saving that much gas with one person riding, with one motorcycle."
While those within Public Safety differ in opinions of the value and practicality of having a motorcycle, Chatterton "(hopes) it becomes more popular."
When asked as to whether Public Safety will be adding any more motorcycles to their pool of vehicles, Chatterton stated, "We would like to see some cost savings with this one (first)."

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