TRAVERSE Issue 14 - October 2019 | Page 61

MINIBIKE COPS Keeping Kids In A Happy Place Julie Hasse I set out to explore and write about motorcycle police. Why? I’m not sure, perhaps I’m drawn to stories where community, justice, and love transcend hu- man struggle. I thought I would find out more about this breed of humans looking to instill a tiny piece of justice and safety in our crazy world. I didn’t know I was about to see a very special group of people that would blow my mind. I wondered what keeps them going in the face of so much trauma, so much violence and despair, or what keeps them sane and tender at the same time capable of making quick and difficult decisions that would wreck a mother’s day. My first conversations with various officers here in Los Angeles (California, USA) led me to watch one of ten grueling training days for basic motor skills held at Davis Training Center Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Motorcycle police officers deployed here along with other allied agencies across the United States spend their TRAVERSE 61