Bikers with Badges

They can be fairly easy to spot. There is an odd little tan line across the forehead where the skulldana stops and the sun glasses start. There is a worn place on the left toe of their otherwise polished boots. Terms like toyride and poker run pepper conversation and when they talk about their "leathers" they are not talking about their gun belt. They are usually male, but increasing numbers of females are joining their ranks. They are street cops, beat cops, supervisors and narcs. And when duty isn't calling their "bikes" are. Harleys, Hondas, Yamahas, waspy shaped cruisers and bullet shaped crotch rockets all take their owners down the road and in the wind. Why do they ride? Answers range from power and freedom to "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand."

While its estimated a mere 1% of bikers cause most of the bad press (and a lot of the mystique), riding can still cause problems for officers. Having an officer along can make a lot of civilian riders uncomfortable and that makes the officer uncomfortable. Some activities, while not illegal, can put the officer in a grey area. Officers want to relax and ride with people they trust and people who won't compromise them. To this end, law enforcement related bike clubs have sprung up across the country. The Blue Knights started the trend back years ago. Today's groups can range from hard core bike afficianados to social groups who happen to like to travel on two wheels. Some groups are strictly for working law enforcement and some include family members and members of related groups like fire personnel and EMT's. Whatever your pleasure, Arkansas has several groups you may want to check out. Who knows, "probie" may become a new word in your vocabulary.