Staying Sharp for the Road

Motorcycle officers had the chance to hone and show off their skills recently at this year’s Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Training Seminar (GLPMTS).

GLPMTS offers both in-class and on the road training as well as a competition over the course of the week that included police officers from local agencies and this year Fort Worth, Texas. 

Motor Squad Sergeant Warren Stein said riding a motorcycle is a perishable skill and the officers who police the city on motorcycles need to be at the top of their game.

“The police motorcycle is not a recreational vehicle used for weekend riding,” he said. “It is a tool used daily from beautiful sunny days to torrential downpours. The skill of operating a 900-pound motorcycle has to be second nature as it is just another tool available to the officer to conduct their day-to-day operations.”

Toronto uses motorcycles for traffic enforcement as well as escorting motorcades, giving officers more flexibility of movement through a busy city.

“Training opportunities like the GLPMTS are a perfect way for our riders to improve their skills. We are proud of all the participants who attended this year as they demonstrated once again that Toronto Police officers are amongst the best in the world.”

Training Constable Bryce Levert came out on top in the Overall Expert category while Constable Joshua Novakowski was first in the Overall Intermediate section.

Constables Sharnjit Saffi and Sam Fraser were runner-up in the Novice and SMART Ride Team competitions respectively.

Overall, TPS captured 18 awards.