Lynnfield PD rolls out first motorcycle

LYNNFIELD – Lynnfield Police Department officials unveiled the department?s first-ever motorcycle Wednesday, which is being paid for in the first year by Kelly Automotive Group President Brian Kelly.Police Chief David Breen said he app-roached Kelly in February with Officer Ray Barnes, asking for a motorcycle for the patrol division, which would be used for traffic enforcement and around the schools.The motorcycle is a new Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, Breen said, and Kelly is paying around $4,000 for the initial year lease. The department has had the vehicle for a few weeks, Breen said, but it had to be sent out for lettering before it could go into use.Breen said he had approached the Board of Selectmen in past years to request a motorcycle for the department, but there was never enough money in the budget.?The only way we could make this work was by establishing a partnership with businesses,” he said during the unveiling in front of the Summer Street station. “Certainly we?re very pleased to work with Brian Kelly.”Kelly said he was happy to help the police department, in addition to the fact he conducts a lot of business in town and has friends who live in Lynnfield.?It seemed like a reasonable request, and I was surprised that they didn?t already have a motorcycle, because most communities do,” he said.Barnes, the department?s school resource officer, is the only certified member of the police force who can operate the motorcycle. However, Breen said he is planning to have two other officers trained to use the motorcycle after the start of the new fiscal year on July 1 through Seacoast Harley-Davidson in North Hampton, N.H.Barnes said the vehicle will give him an “extra in” with the students because it is less imposing than a cruiser.?Students tend to be uncomfortable with police officers in their schools,” he said. “And if you can show that you?re a regular guy and you?re approachable, it gives you the opportunity to talk to them and let them know that you?re there for them.”Breen said he has not yet figured out how the department will be able to continue using the vehicle after this first year, but he is looking forward to getting the motorcycle on the road.?This is an exciting time, an exciting era for the Lynnfield Police Department,” he said.In addition, Breen said the motorcycle will be around town as much as possible, at events like the town?s Memorial Day festivities, but its use will currently be limited because some officers are inactive due to on-duty injuries.?We need to have at least three people on the day shift to get this going, but right now, with the injuries, we only have two during the week. Weekends, we have three,” he said.The absence of some officers has also pushed the department?s overtime expenditures “above normal” in the current fiscal year, Breen said, so the department will not overextend itself just to have the motorcycle visible in town.?We won?t be hiring, on an overtime basis, anyone to use the motorcycle,” he said.Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].