COLLEGE STATION, Texas — TEEX and Harley-Davidson have teamed up to offer specialized and advanced training to law enforcement officers who patrol on motorcycles, according to information released by the school Tuesday. The training will be available for law enforcement officers in Texas, as well as motorcycle cops across the country.
The program will offer basic, advanced and instructor-level training courses. Basic level includes 80 hours of training for those officers going directly into the police motorcycle unit. Advanced training will be for experienced officer riders who are hoping to increase their skills and the instructor-level course will certify an officer hoping to build their own training program.
"As a former law enforcement administrator, I know training is key to managing risk," said Dr. John M. Ray, who is director of the TEEX Institute for Law Enforcement and Protective Services Excellence. "You want to attend a manufacturer specific school because there are subtleties about riding these bikes in high-risk situations. This curriculum is tailored specifically for that."
Dr. Ray said there will be classroom and "on-track" training. The motorcycles will be provided by Harley-Davidson and they will offer servicing on-site. This is something unique to the program, according to Dr. Ray, because many training programs require students to bring their own bike. By teaming up with Harley-Davidson and their mechanical crews, students will be able to finish the course without worrying about if their own bike will make it through.
"We are proud to partner with TEEX to create a comprehensive training program that allows peace officers to focus completely on improving their skills," said John Dedeo, GM Field Sales for Harley-Davidson.
Kyle McNew, who is the TEEX Training Manager for the Institute for Law Enforcement and Protective Services Excellence, said the training will be offered in Texas, but also other locations across the country. "That gives us an opportunity to save agencies money by sending their officers to train closer to home." It also offers an option for those law enforcement agencies that are considering starting up motorcycle traffic enforcement.
If you would like to register, click here or call Kyle McNew at 979-458-2762. You can also email him at kyle.mcnew@teex.tamu.edu.
