City approves buying 2 police motorcycles

The City Council voted 3-1 at Wednesday night's meeting to approve the purchase of a BMW motorcycle, one of two new patrol bikes the Camarillo Police Department had requested

Mayor Jan McDonald cast the dissenting vote. McDonald said she didn't favor the purchase because she thinks motorcyle patrols are unsafe.

"Motorcycle patrols are not my favorite thing," McDonald said. "I don't think it's safe."

Vice Mayor Charlotte Craven was absent.

The city was asked to buy the $23,000 motorcycle from BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County in Newbury Park. The first motorcycle purchase was approved at a June 13 City Council meeting.

The two Camarillo police motorcycles now in service have each logged more than 40,000 miles and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department considers them ready for retirement.

Cmdr. Stephen DeCesari, head of the Camarillo station, said his department would store one of the retired bikes for training use and as a back-up.

He said the additional motorcycle, a first for the department, will help ensure regular patrols.

"We haven't had (an extra) one in the past so if a motorcycle is down for repairs, they have to go out in a black-and-white," DeCesari said.

George Cross, sales manager at the BMW motorcycle dealership, said the model used by most police departments is similar to civilian bikes.

Police bikes, he said, replace the passenger seat with the radio, have additional bars to protect the engine, and are equipped with an extra battery to support the siren and radio.

- Daniel Wolowicz