Speeders beware.
Forget about radar vans, red-light cameras and any other new technology the Tucson Police Department may use to catch traffic violators.
Soon you might see something far more intimidating revving behind you in your rearview mirror: one of the Police Department's brand-new Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Three of them already have hit the pavement. Two more should arrive in coming months, and the department is set to order 15 more, said Lt. Mike Pryor, commander of the department's traffic unit.
The plan is to eventually replace the entire motorcycle fleet of 50 bikes, Pryor said.
The public response has been positive, said Officer Billy Daniel, who patrols on one of the new Harleys.
Most people are glad to see the Police Department chose an American-made bike, he said. Daniel, an 11-year veteran of the motorcycle unit, said he had gotten used to the Kawasaki models the department has been using, so it took some adjusting to get used to the new bikes .
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But overall, the Harley-Davidson is a good machine, and people seem to pull over more quickly than they did before. "Maybe because there's more lights," he said.
The department didn't change motorcycle brands because it was drawn to the distinctive rumble and roar of a Harley, Pryor said. The Kawasaki model that officers currently ride no longer will be made by the Japanese company.
When considering new motorcycle makes, the department tested BMW, Honda and Harley-Davidson, Pryor said.
All of them cost about $14,000 to $15,000, plus the additional expense of adding lights, sirens and computers, but "the Harley was built as a police motorcycle," Pryor said.
Other models weren't designed specifically for law-enforcement use. In the end, Police Chief Richard Miranda made the final decision, and Pryor pointed out that the chief doesn't ride motorcycles.
"Motorcycle riders are kind of different, because they become polarized among different brands," he said.
Some of the officers like the Harleys, while others might have preferred a different brand. But Miranda went with what he thought was best for the department, Pryor said.
