Police train in escort operations
Spokane residents got a sneak preview Wednesday of the traffic impacts that two large events will have on the city next weekend.
Eastern Washington traffic police conducted three practice motorcades as part of annual training and in preparation for motorcades accompanying the Orange County Choppers tour and Fairchild Air Force Base’s Skyfest air show July 29-30.
More than 100,000 people are expected to participate in the two events. Local law enforcement officers are being asked to accompany a July 29 morning motorcycle ride between Northern Quest Casino and the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center and to escort U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilots from downtown Spokane to Fairchild.
About 50 motorcycle police from Spokane, Spokane County, Grant County, Yakima, Kennewick, Coeur d’Alene and the Washington State Patrol escorted a practice motorcade Wednesday on trips in northeast and northwest Spokane and on the West Plains.
With lights flashing, officers blocked intersections and driveways with their motorcycles to keep the motorcade moving, then zoomed past the vehicles to take up new positions farther down the road.
Along the way, they halted traffic and elicited stares from motorists, pedestrians and children playing outside. A few onlookers crossed their hearts, perhaps assuming the escort was for a funeral procession.
“I like this from the recruiting aspect,” said Washington State Patrol Trooper Mark Baker, who was driving one of the cars in the motorcade. “You know some of those kids are looking at us thinking, ‘That’s cool.’ Maybe it will put the bug in their ear to stay out of trouble so they can do what we do some day.”
Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney said accompanying motorcades is one of the most dangerous jobs that a traffic officer performs.
“It’s dangerous because we’re riding at high speeds in close proximity to the vehicles we’re motoring as well as the general public,” Sevigney explained.
All the commotion may disrupt traffic, but it’s important for law enforcement to get the training, said Spokane police Sgt. Rick Dobrow.
“It has to be reality-based training to be effective,” he said.