(Guadalupe County) – Drivers in Guadalupe County may soon want to take a second look in their rearview mirrors. That’s because for the first time in the sheriff’s office’s history, deputies will be patrolling county roads on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The sheriff’s office has acquired three fully equipped Harley-Davidson police motorcycles that will soon be deployed throughout Guadalupe County to target all areas of concern including speeding through school zones and along heavily traveled county roads.
Lt. Zachary McBride, public information officer for the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, says this addition of the motorcycles marks a milestone for the department.
“This is the first. I’ve been here in 22 years and we never had a motorcycle. So, this is definitely something new to us,” said McBride.
McBride says the motorcycles were purchased from the city of San Marcos where they were no longer needed. He says not only were they in excellent condition, but they were already outfitted for law enforcement traffic operations.
More importantly, McBride says the sheriff’s office purchased all three motorcycles using no taxpayer dollars. He says the bikes were approximately $31,000 and purchased using asset forfeiture funds.
“We’re getting 3 traffic units for less than the price of a Tahoe,” said McBride.
A new patrol SUV typically costs between $60,000 and $65,000 before emergency equipment, radios, lighting, cages and graphics are added. In addition to the lower purchase price, he says motorcycles average about 42 miles per gallon compared to roughly 21 miles per gallon for a standard patrol vehicle.
While they can patrol all corners of the county, McBride says the motorcycles will focus on county roads where residents have consistently reported speeding and traffic concerns. Roads such as Gin Road, Youngsford Road and Santa Clara Road have experienced heavier traffic volumes as construction continues along I-10.
The motorcycles will also play a significant role once students return to class in August. He says deputies will be assigned to school zones in communities including Marion, Navarro and the area around the new McQueeney Elementary School.
“We’re going to have those officers dedicated to patrolling the school zones in the mornings and the afternoons, just so that we can make those school zones even more safer than they already are,” said McBride.
The new motorcycles are expected to make their public debut during Seguin’s Biggest Small Town Fourth of July Parade in Texas — although McBride say residents may begin seeing them on county roads even sooner as training is completed.
Interest among deputies has been strong. About 10 deputies are scheduled to attend specialized law enforcement motorcycle operations training before joining what McBride describes as “a rotating team of motorcycle operators.”