(Sykesville, MD) – Police officers from across the state are training on steel horses for the next two weeks as they personally experience the answers to questions that include, “Can I keep my motorcycle upright in a skid,” and “What is the best way to use my motorcycle for protection when exchanging gunfire with a suspect?
Maryland State Police First Sergeant Frank Wastler, a veteran motorcycle trooper who first began the Motor Officer Training Course in 1986, will, beginning today, again be hosting two weeks of training for about 20 officers from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Most of the training will occur at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions’ Driver Training Facility, located at 7310 Slacks Road, Sykesville, Md. 21784.
In addition to classroom training, student officers will spend much of their time on their motorcycles experiencing the various challenges of the training track, including the skid pad, the urban grid, and the highway course. Officers will experience obstacle courses, cone courses, braking exercises, and even learn the correct way to mount, dismount, lift and push their police motorcycles. Training will occur during the day and at night.
Officer survival will be a significant focus of the training. This includes not only safe operation of the motorcycle, but how to survive an armed confrontation. Officers will undergo tactical training with their motorcycles in live-fire exercises at the firing range adjacent to the driver training track.
Reporters are welcome to visit and see how police motorcycle officers learn to do what they do so well. Various activities are scheduled during each day of the two-week course. To make an appointment to visit or find out what is occurring on a specific day, please call the Office of Media Communications.
WHAT: POLICE MOTOR OFFICER DRIVER TRAINING
WHEN: NOVEMBER 2 – 13, 2009
WHERE:
MPTC DRIVER TRAINING FACILITY
7310 SLACKS ROAD
SYKESVILLE, MD 21784
Joe, this is a very interesting article. However I think it is a little smoke blowing by the state police. They did away with their motorcycle unit a few months ago. I guess the teachers are teaching other cops but not riding themselves anymore.
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