After his brother was killed by a drunk driver while riding in a taxi in 1997, Sgt. Rex Davenport was determined to reduce the number of victims of fatal traffic accidents.
Davenport, now supervisor of the traffic division at the Bakersfield Police Department, is working to expand the motorcycle unit at BPD to help reduce traffic accidents in Bakersfield.
This week, BPD celebrated the addition of four new motorcycle officers – referred to as “motors,” according to BPD – with a post on Facebook. In the photo, four of the new motorcycle officers are seen smiling and posing in front of two motorcycles and orange corns scattered across the dark sidewalk near an open field.
“Applause for our 4 new engines!” BPD said this via the caption on its Facebook post. “Their perseverance and tenacity have seen them through their training and soon they will be patrolling to keep our community safe!”
According to Davenport, who served as a motorcycle officer from 2007 to 2010, the primary purpose of the motorcycle unit is to reduce traffic accidents through traffic enforcement. The unit has unique advantages over regular police patrol vehicles that make it much more efficient, such as high visibility and maneuverability.
“People tend to slow down when they see a motorcycle officer,” Davenport said. “Hopefully the drivers, when they see us, will not break the traffic rules.”
In 2017, BPD retired its motor unit due to safety concerns and workplace injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6,218 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2022 – 15% of all traffic fatalities and 19% of all vehicle occupant deaths. The death rate per vehicle mile traveled was also 22 times higher for motorcyclists than for passenger cars, NHTSA found.
The last motorcycle officer before the shutdown of the program was Chief of Police Justin Enns, until he too was promoted and left his position as a motorcycle officer.
Two years later, Enns, along with senior police officer Adam Clayton, were brought back to rebuild the engine unit. There are currently 22 motorcycle officers in BPD and the goal for February is 24 officers, Davenport said.
This month, the California Office of Traffic Safety awarded BPD a $490,000 grant to reduce the number of serious and fatal crashes on the road. The city of Bakersfield also provided funding to rebuild the program, and Davenport said BPD is purchasing two motorcycles at a time.
Chris Parlier, presumptive district supervisor-elect for District 2, said there were no motorcycle units actively used for patrol in BPD four to six years ago. Parlier said a motor unit is an “essential tool to enhance public safety.”
“It would be a huge benefit to Bakersfield since Bakersfield is such a big city,” said Parlier, who previously served on the Bakersfield City Council. “It would be absolutely necessary for vehicle and pedestrian safety.”
Davenport said the purpose of the motor unit is not to simply issue citations to everyone on the road, but to prevent traffic violations that can lead to destructive crashes.
“That’s why we’re aggressively expanding the unit,” Davenport said. “If no one crashes, no one drives too fast… then we don’t need a motor unit.”
While traffic safety is the largest part of the BPD engine unit’s mission, it is not the only positive thing about the work, Davenport said. Motorcycle officers can look forward to participating in events where they can interact and interact with the community, such as holiday parades or motorcycle skills competitions.
Davenport said they find satisfaction for the officers because they can prove the skills they have learned through training and perform in front of their family and friends.
“It’s a big goal for any officer,” Davenport said.
