Ga Police Officer Killed

Rudy · April 24, 2009

Pay attention when you drive and ALWAYS yield to emergency vehicles!!!!

I was riding with my seargant running code (lights AND sirens) at 90mph when a stupid idiot pulled out in front of us and crossed onto the other direction.

FirefightnRick · April 24, 2009

Officer Terry Adams was killed in a motorcycle accident on Tift Avenue. He was driving with his emergency equipment activated when a pickup truck pulled out of a shopping center and collided with his motorcycle head-on.
Officer Adams is survived by his wife and four children.

This is one of those things I simply do not understand. He had 5 dependants, and he's riding a motorcycle. Being a cop is dangerous enough. Then to go out and ride a motorcycle? At our FW training center, the wall of our fallen P.D. bretheren are listed on the right side of the hallway as you enter the building. Without exageration, I would say 25 percent of them killed on duty involved motorcycles. The NFPA outlawed my being allowed to stand up or ride on the back of a firetruck or even ride in an open cab without a door, well over 14 years ago. And if caught doing it today(Standing up in a moving firetruck, unbuckled) I could get days off without pay and even termination. Yet municipalities around the world(including Fort Worth) still allow their cops to ride motorcycles on their dime? I just don't understand it.

Rick

KRAM1 · April 24, 2009

Why are there still motorcycle cops in the first place? I am sure it's exciting to be a motorcycle cop, but good grief, as Rick said, the job is dangerous enough without adding a motorcycle to the mix. In my drive home yesterday an idiot on a cell phone wondered out of his lane and right into me...if I had not been alert (lucky for me) we would have ended up, at best, with a tie up on I-35 for who knows how long right in "drive time". I wonder how many other IDIOTS are talking on cell phones and driving right this very second? Makes it even more risky to be on a motorcycle...cop or no cop. Seems to me that some cities around the area have alreday parked their motorcycles.

My thoughts and prayers go out to this officer's family. What a shame. These guys serve and protect and they do it 24/7 in good times and in bad. To lose an officer like this...or anyway for that matter...is a true loss.

I pray for the family...those kids have lost big time!

greenminer · April 24, 2009

Why are there still motorcycle cops in the first place?

Wild guess: fuel.

Rudy · April 24, 2009

They are more maneuverable than squad cars, and can hide better for traffic inforcement purposes.

Smitty · April 24, 2009

Years ago I knew some professional motorcycle road racers, some of them among the very best riders in the world. The riders I knew did not ride motorcycles away from the track because they said riding on the street was not safe.

GreenMachine · April 24, 2009

They are more maneuverable than squad cars, and can hide better for traffic inforcement purposes.

couldn't they enforce traffic better if they were in a large, visible vehicle where drivers could see them? Or do they hide just for the purpose of issuing citations?

April 24, 2009

couldn't they enforce traffic better if they were in a large, visible vehicle where drivers could see them? Or do they hide just for the purpose of issuing citations?

Ding Ding Ding!

No one has to tell me about the dangers of motorcycles. I broke my neck and had it fused from chunks of my hipbone. Luckily the only thing that has long term damage is my political reasoning.

UNT90 · April 24, 2009

couldn't they enforce traffic better if they were in a large, visible vehicle where drivers could see them? Or do they hide just for the purpose of issuing citations?

Yes, it generates revenue for the city. In large departments, the only responsibility of motorcycle officers is to issue citations. Administrators will tell you that the citations are issued to reduce traffic accidents, and motor officers are a valuable means to that ends. That would be great, but then they push the regular patrol guys to issue as many citations as possible, which kind of shows the real purpose of the city.

I would never want that job, because you are basically nothing more than a glorified meter maid with a huge amount of risk. But, to each their own, I guess.

Rudy · April 25, 2009

Yes, it generates revenue for the city. In large departments, the only responsibility of motorcycle officers is to issue citations. Administrators will tell you that the citations are issued to reduce traffic accidents, and motor officers are a valuable means to that ends. That would be great, but then they push the regular patrol guys to issue as many citations as possible, which kind of shows the real purpose of the city.
I would never want that job, because you are basically nothing more than a glorified meter maid with a huge amount of risk. But, to each their own, I guess.

Ususally the motorcycle officers are used in major cities and some larger suburbs. When they are used for traffic enforcement, they can hide easily. Its not deceptive. By hiding they are not decieving you and making you think it is ok to break traffic laws. Yes, citations are a major source of revenue, and for some cities, they are the ONLY source. Citations can encourage compliance of traffic laws. Most people wont want another ticket for reckless driving. However, there are other positives to traffic enforcement. Alot of drug interdiction comes from traffic stops for "minor" infractions. Motorcycles are also great for escorts.

UNTFan23 · April 25, 2009

Ususally the motorcycle officers are used in major cities and some larger suburbs. When they are used for traffic enforcement, they can hide easily. Its not deceptive. By hiding they are not decieving you and making you think it is ok to break traffic laws. Yes, citations are a major source of revenue, and for some cities, they are the ONLY source. Citations can encourage compliance of traffic laws. Most people wont want another ticket for reckless driving. However, there are other positives to traffic enforcement. Alot of drug interdiction comes from traffic stops for "minor" infractions. Motorcycles are also great for escorts.

The presence of law enforcement also discourages unlawful behavior. I'd argue that the lack of a police presence encourages people to break laws. People are much more likely to drive recklessly when they know police don't patrol a stretch of road or don't see police on the sides of the road running radar. So, hiding actually makes it more dangerous for drivers that do happen to follow the laws.

LoveMG · April 25, 2009

<a href="http://www.odmp.org/officer/19898-police-officer-terry-adams" target="_blank">
Pay attention when you drive and ALWAYS yield to emergency vehicles!!!!
</a>
I was riding with my seargant running code (lights AND sirens) at 90mph when a stupid idiot pulled out in front of us and crossed onto the other direction.

was there really a need to be going 90 mph in an area where cars can pull out? police are overzealous and dangerous sometimes in their hast to be somewhere without regard to the environment they drive in. sometimes there is good reason to do this, sometimes not. there is a lot of danger driveing 90 in an area posted at 40.

Rudy · April 25, 2009

was there really a need to be going 90 mph in an area where cars can pull out? police are overzealous and dangerous sometimes in their hast to be somewhere without regard to the environment they drive in. sometimes there is good reason to do this, sometimes not. there is a lot of danger driveing 90 in an area posted at 40.

WOW, I hope you are speaking in jest and not out of pure ignorance. Not that its any of your business, but we were on a state highway, and the speed limit was certainly not 40. Im not sure how you came to the conclusion that the speed limit is 40 when you do not even know what city I work in, much less the road we were travelling on. And its not up to YOU to decide when we feel the need to speed. That is why police cars come equipped with those bright red and blue lights, and that annoying little siren to tell you not to do anything stupid. And how would you decide what is overzealous and when the need to "speed"?

I have to stop typing now or I might get a vacation from the board.

LoveMG · April 25, 2009

WOW, I hope you are speaking in jest and not out of pure ignorance. Not that its any of your business, but we were on a state highway, and the speed limit was certainly not 40. Im not sure how you came to the conclusion that the speed limit is 40 when you do not even know what city I work in, much less the road we were travelling on. And its not up to YOU to decide when we feel the need to speed. That is why police cars come equipped with those bright red and blue lights, and that annoying little siren to tell you not to do anything stupid. And how would you decide what is overzealous and when the need to "speed"?
I have to stop typing now or I might get a vacation from the board.

not that it is any of your business either but i know some situations where the cop was the danger by his driving. i also have cop friends who gloat about the speeds they travel for no good reasons. your call may have been for a good reason, no need to be so arrogant about it. that's another issue.