Motorcycles will be one tool that police use to patrol downtown this year to be more visible, although the cost of equipping the new two-wheeler will be nearly $80,000.
The Moose Jaw Police Service provided an update during the March 13 Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting on its efforts to address community safety in the coming months.
Officers will walk the downtown as part of their regular beats, while they will use bicycles and motorcycles once the streets become clear, Police Chief Rick Bourassa said. There will also be an e-bike motoring around that the organization purchased.
The agency recently added a new traffic safety-focused motorcycle — SGI provided the funding to purchase it — but it must spend roughly $75,000 to outfit the bike with the proper equipment, he continued.
It attempted to find a community business to make the necessary changes but was unsuccessful. Instead, it will use the only company in Saskatchewan that does this work — and that every other police service also uses.
Some items that must be added include lights, sirens, a radio, an e-ticketing machine, a tablet and speed detection gear.
“The cost to equip our vehicles just (continues) to go up and up and up,” said Bourassa. “A police car is at minimum — between purchasing the vehicle and equipping it — … $120,000 per vehicle. And I suspect this year we’re even going to see it quite a bit higher than that.”
The chief added that the cost of equipping the motorcycle caught the police service by surprise since it had never been that high — although this was the first such two-wheeler the organization had equipped in 20 years.
The police service will work with that provincial business to see where the cost increases are happening and determine whether it’s possible to trim expenses, Deputy Chief Rick Johns said.
“We specced it out with everything that we could possibly want to be on the bike. And we may have to pare that back to meet budget or look at some other ways to get that money through external funding,” he continued.
Some items the organization may consider removing are the digital e-ticketing system and the on-board tablet that can access SGI databases, which are items it has not had in the past, the deputy chief said. It may add those pieces as part of a two-stage process after the bike is on the road.
The motorcycle will have two radio systems installed, including one connected to police headquarters and another connected to the RCMP, Johns added. The connection to RCMP is necessary because, besides using the vehicle in Moose Jaw, police will also use it on the highway to support the safety efforts of Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS).
The next police board meeting is Wednesday, April 10.
