Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — The Truckee Police Department has purchased its first electric motorcycle, a new tool officers say will help them keep people safe and catch bad guys in the rugged back country around Lake Tahoe with less noise and pollution.
Truckee Police Capt. Rob Leftwich said the "Zero Motorcycle" will be used instead of bicycles in some situations, but it won't mean an end to bicycle patrols.
"An officer on a bicycle is essentially out of commission for incidents beyond a certain range because of how long it might take to pedal back to a patrol vehicle," he said. "The Zero, on the other hand, can go from the Legacy Trail to the top of Tahoe Donner as quickly as an officer in a vehicle."
With Truckee's approximately 20 miles of developing trail infrastructure and an estimated 35 miles of potential trails, Leftwich said there is substantial territory to cover with the right type of patrol vehicle.
"The integration of the dual purpose electric motorcycle will provide the Truckee Police with the ability to expand our existing patrol efforts, which we believe will improve the level of service we provide to our community," he said.
With no emissions and nearly no noise while being ridden, Leftwich said the "Zero" allows officers to be in several environments and situations where it will not disturb the natural surroundings, but can still function as a fully equipped police vehicle.
It's fully equipped with emergency lighting and sirens, safety components and functional storage options to carry gear, patrol items and emergency medical equipment.
When the weather is appropriate, the motorcycle will be used daily upon Truckee's streets, trails and off-road areas.
The dual-sport capability of the Zero FXP is particularly valuable in patrolling areas that have extreme fire danger, allowing officers quick and silent access where they had difficulty accessing before, Leftwich said.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
