They are bright, they are shiny, and they are new! I’m talking about the two new BMW motorcycles that the Morro Bay Police Department obtained, and they are out there, watching for you!
We all love to go speeding down the highway and if we stay within the speed limit there are no worries, but speeding is a primary cause of automobile accidents on highways and speeding on city streets is even more dangerous especially when there are children present, not to mention pets. So, it was illuminating to this writer to learn the true story of speed limits.
“A safe speed is 30 miles per hour,” Chief Amy Watkins said, “this is five miles above the posted twenty-five mile an hour speed limit. It’s unlikely you will get stopped at 30 miles per hour, but ten miles over the twenty-five is speeding. Keep in mind the posted speed is the safe speed when the roadway is clear, and weather conditions are ideal. Speed limits can change based on fog, wet roadways, traffic, darkness, etc. Driving the posted speed limit is the recommendation. If you end up in a collision because you were driving too fast for road conditions, it could be your fault.”
Motorcycle officers are riding around town watching out for speeders and trying to keep our roadways safe for all. Traffic is a big issue in Morro Bay and probably the situation most complained about. One of the major causes of minor accidents in town is the misunderstanding of the “right of way” laws. Who goes first when cars approach a four-way stop? Many people can’t answer that question. The car that arrives first at the intersection has the right of way. If a vehicle, person walking, or a bicycle arrives at the intersection the same time as you do, give the right of way to the vehicle, person, or bicycle on your right. Remember to use your signals too if you are turning right or left.
There are a lot of small streets in town, but some have long stretches of roadway before a car approaches a stop sign or another intersection. Most are posted with a twenty-five mile an hour speed limit. Yes, you could go thirty, but it really is better if you stick to the twenty-five mile an hour speed limit. Motorcycle officers will be nearby, and they are giving out tickets.
Chief Watkins is happy to have two new cycles that they waited for since August of 2023 and retired officers, extra help from other law enforcement agencies, joining with two trained officers already on staff. These officers provide an opportunity for the police department to fill gaps in coverage. With eighteen sworn officers, the Chief says they must get creative and these extra help officers are going to help the police department serve Morro Bay with traffic safety concerns. These traffic officers are here to answer the calls and complaints from the community about traffic in the city.
Motorcycle officers receive extensive training with an 80-hour law enforcement-related course. They need to learn how to maneuver the heavy cycle around obstacles or through traffic. These cycles weigh in at six hundred pounds. The department had two BMW motorcycles, but they were purchased in 2007 and had reached old age. With the 2024 BMW models recently purchased they will aid in better and safer streets for all.
The department now has full-time law enforcement officers working at a time and one officer on the motorcycle working alongside on certain days of the week. Motorcycle officers concentrate on traffic violations and Watkins says that most stops are for speeding and people talking on their cell phones. Occasional mechanical violations or window tint tickets will occur as well.
“We are most interested in outcomes and not outputs,” Chief Watkins said, “the outcomes are changes in behavior – a reduction in speeding, for instance rather than giving out tickets. Quotas are against the law, and we do not operate that way. We look for that behavior change with the community. That’s why presence is so important. It’s enforcement, but community related. School started, enforcement will increase, so be especially careful.”
