March 18, 2021 - The Center Police Department has initiated a new, albeit tried and true method to working traffic in Center.
Officer Kevin Sage, who has been with the department since June 2019, is the department's first motorcycle police officer of record and he is the traffic officer for the city. The motorcycle is a 2009 Harley Davidson FLHTP / Police Electra Glide.
"I started back here in June of 2019, and I just started as a reserve from California," said Sage. "I worked for the Martinez Police Department in California."
Officer Sage was already a fully experienced and qualified officer prior to joining the Center Police Department; however, he still had to attend police academy in Texas before becoming a reserve officer with the department. February of 2020 he became a full-time police officer with the Center PD.
Officer Sage has experience with patrolling in a standard police cruiser as well as motorcycles, but when the department began discussing having a designated traffic officer, he offered the idea of getting a motorcycle to work traffic.
"I am part of the patrol division, I still do patrol, but I do almost all the accidents," said Officer Sage.
Sgt. King explained Officer Sage will be able to choose if he's on patrol or working traffic on any given day depending on weather or other factors; however, his primary duty is traffic enforcement and parking violations.
"Officer Sage actually brought up the concept and idea, and they were receptive of it," said Sgt. King. "He can get around so much better in traffic on the bike. From working a bike before, he knew that."
From 1990 to 2004 Officer Sage utilized a police cruiser to perform his duties and by the end of 2004 he was riding a motorcycle, enforcing traffic laws. He returned to patrol in a police cruiser in 2011.
Sage explained the motorcycle was purchased from a Sheriff's Department in Illinois with low mileage as that department was switching from Harley Davidson motorcycles to BMW models.
A lot of times on streets like Tenaha Street, if there's a traffic incident, the street can become very congested and sometimes prevent officers from getting to the scene as quickly as they would like, but a motorcycle unit should have an easier time negotiating around the line of traffic.
The first day of service for the motorcycle was Tuesday, March 16, when Officer Sage responded to a crash on Hurst Street first thing in the morning.
"We had a major accident where both vehicles ended up in the ditch, an ambulance was being called, I responded and I could get around things a little bit quicker," said Officer Sage.
Officer Sage explained how traffic enforcement isn't just about writing tickets, but saving lives by helping drivers be more cautious and aware.
"I spent a lot of time with accidents where people are injured and killed, and I've given CPR on the side of the road," said Sage. "Last year I gave CPR three times."
Sage says he knows a lot of people think citations are bad and writing citations is not his main goal, but to get people to drive more safely.
"I don't want to have to do CPR on the side of the road," said Officer Sage. "Back in 2019 I'd been here just a few months and a girl got hit walking across [the road] from McDonald's at 11:30 at night and she was killed."
That night had a major impact on all those involved, from one person losing her life and her family dealing with her loss, to the driver of the truck living with the fact his vehicle struck her, even though, there was nothing he could do to prevent the incident.
"There was nothing I could do, you know when we got there. That just kills me, and safety is a big issue" said Sage.
The motorcycle unit is also being helpful at some school campuses during high traffic times in slowing traffic to help prevent speeding through school zones. Sgt. King talked about the motorcycle unit being helpful in public outreach with students as well.
Presence of a motorcycle unit on the Center streets may help other drivers to be more aware of motorcycle riders on the road, because they'll possibly be more aware of him. Officer Sage remarked motorcycles are most times very safe and more often than not the motorcycle rider isn't to blame for causing the incident. That's not to say there aren't speeders riding motorcycles.
"The problem is you have to be over aware when you're riding the bike," said Officer Sage.
Officer Sage hopes to help bring awareness to other motorcycle riders and be able to do some outreach with school students.
