There’s a certain mystique associated with Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The sense of adventure, freedom and maybe even a little rebellion that comes with riding the bike can be hard to resist. It’s an aura you might not expect to find in correlation to law enforcement.
You would be wrong. In fact, according to the web site, harley-davidson.com, the company has a long and proud partnership with police –– a history in which their bikes have given police departments a tactical advantage by providing maneuverable vehicles with a reputation for reliability. Fort Polk is now a part of that history.
A dedication ceremony for two new Harley-Davidson motorcycles was held in front of post headquarters Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. The bikes belong to Fort Polk’s Department of the Army Police.
“This was a four-year investment that was worth every effort made. These bikes will draw people to us and help make an impact with the community,” said Capt. Bobby Lungrin, DA Police.
As the ribbon was cut, Col. David Sage, garrison commander, said to the newly trained motor patrol officers and those attending, “You are going to set the example on post for the way to ride a motorcycle.”   
DA Police officers Randy Pruitt and Troy Slate will be driving the Harleys. They were chosen based on their experience and because they wanted the job, according to Pruitt.
“(Our leadership) asked who wanted to do this. We did, and then they looked at our experience. We have both been riding most of our lives,” he said.
Even with experience under their belts, to become motor officers they had to attend an intensive two-week motor patrol motorcycle course in Gulfport, Miss. “It was tough, but excellent,” said Pruitt.
Slate, Pruitt’s partner, said he and Pruitt both have Harleys at home. “It feels good to ride them, and these new bikes are nice. It’s great to finally get them.”
One of the advantages they hope to get from motorcycle patrols is community interaction. “The bikes will enhance our ability to connect with the community instead of being in a patrol car,” said Pruitt.
The motorcycles also offer better gas mileage than a patrol car, especially when a gallon of gas costs around $4. “The motorcycle gets 48 miles per gallon compared to 16 to 18 mpg for the patrol cars,” said Lungrin.
Sage agreed. “It will be interesting to see how much we save on fuel,” he said.
After the dedication, Slate and Pruitt climbed onto their new bikes and went to work. In addition to daily patrols, the bikes are expected to make a difference at large events on post. “They will be used at high-traffic events. Motorcycles are better able to maneuver through vehicles and help direct traffic than patrol cars,” said Lungrin.
Also dedicated at the Aug. 1 ceremony were two new patrol cars with a little something different.
“The patrol cars have a new look. The stripe pattern on the car has gone from a military police themed color of green and gold to an Army themed color of black and gold to show that we are all a part of the same Army,” said Lungrin. “The patrol cars also have a flag on the back quarter panel and unit numbers on the back of the vehicles for ease of identification.”
As the Harleys roared out of the parking lot following the ceremony, their riders resembling the motorcycle-riding TV duo Ponch and Jon, a new era in police patrols began. Keep your eyes open for Fort Polk’s own version of “CHiPS.”