Female officer joins motorcycle patrol
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:22 am
Female officer joins motorcycle patrol
Wayne County deputy is 1 of 20 cops certified as riders
Monday, October 30, 2006 - BY DAVID ASHENFELTER - FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER - freep.com
The gold wings on Kristyn Montgomery's uniform denote her certification as a motorcycle cop.
Kristyn Montgomery earned her wings from the Wayne County Sheriff's Department last week, but not for learning to fly an airplane.
Montgomery, 44, is the third woman in the history of the department to become certified as a motorcycle cop -- a feat that required the 5-foot-6, medium-build Montgomery to learn how to right an overturned 800-pound Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle.
"Once you learn the proper way to lift the bike, it's really not that hard," Montgomery said.
Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans said it's a trick that has eluded many bigger, more muscular, male deputies. Getting through the grueling, two-week training program is a credit to Montgomery's determination, Evans added.
Montgomery is now among only 20 deputies certified to ride the big Harleys, and the only woman.
Deputies like Montgomery, who is assigned to the special services section, ride during parades, in presidential motorcades, at funerals and other special events. Deputies assigned to road patrol duty have the option of patrolling on bikes or in cars.
Montgomery was born and raised in Detroit, the daughter and granddaughter of police officers. Her mother was a mail carrier. After graduating from Cooley High School in 1980, she said, she spent 16 years working as a claims clerk for a succession of insurance companies. She also worked for a temporary employment service.
In 1996, she got married. Her husband, James Montgomery, a Detroit Public Schools administrator, encouraged her to pursue her dream of getting into law enforcement.
In 1998, she joined the sheriff's department and became a jailer.
But she wanted to move up.
In 2003, she attended the 16-week sheriff's academy. After graduating, she worked for the Internet unit, posing as a child to nab online predators. A year later, she was assigned to the special services section, which handles a variety of tasks, including investigations.
Montgomery said her husband got her interested in motorcycles. She owns a Suzuki 800, smaller than the department's bikes.
She said she got interested in learning to ride the Harleys when she saw one of her sheriff's academy instructors ride up on one.
Once again, her husband encouraged her to follow her dream.
She said the most difficult part of training was learning how to right the Harley and preventing it from tipping over while maneuvering at slow speeds.
"Luckily, I didn't burn out the clutch or damage the bike," she said, chuckling. "It really wasn't that hard. I just think people get intimidated by the bigness of the bike."
The two other women who were certified to ride the Harleys are Cdr. Maggie Cesnick, who retired this year, and Deputy Darcel Rogan, who no longer rides for the department.
Wayne County deputy is 1 of 20 cops certified as riders
Monday, October 30, 2006 - BY DAVID ASHENFELTER - FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER - freep.com
The gold wings on Kristyn Montgomery's uniform denote her certification as a motorcycle cop.
Kristyn Montgomery earned her wings from the Wayne County Sheriff's Department last week, but not for learning to fly an airplane.
Montgomery, 44, is the third woman in the history of the department to become certified as a motorcycle cop -- a feat that required the 5-foot-6, medium-build Montgomery to learn how to right an overturned 800-pound Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle.
"Once you learn the proper way to lift the bike, it's really not that hard," Montgomery said.
Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans said it's a trick that has eluded many bigger, more muscular, male deputies. Getting through the grueling, two-week training program is a credit to Montgomery's determination, Evans added.
Montgomery is now among only 20 deputies certified to ride the big Harleys, and the only woman.
Deputies like Montgomery, who is assigned to the special services section, ride during parades, in presidential motorcades, at funerals and other special events. Deputies assigned to road patrol duty have the option of patrolling on bikes or in cars.
Montgomery was born and raised in Detroit, the daughter and granddaughter of police officers. Her mother was a mail carrier. After graduating from Cooley High School in 1980, she said, she spent 16 years working as a claims clerk for a succession of insurance companies. She also worked for a temporary employment service.
In 1996, she got married. Her husband, James Montgomery, a Detroit Public Schools administrator, encouraged her to pursue her dream of getting into law enforcement.
In 1998, she joined the sheriff's department and became a jailer.
But she wanted to move up.
In 2003, she attended the 16-week sheriff's academy. After graduating, she worked for the Internet unit, posing as a child to nab online predators. A year later, she was assigned to the special services section, which handles a variety of tasks, including investigations.
Montgomery said her husband got her interested in motorcycles. She owns a Suzuki 800, smaller than the department's bikes.
She said she got interested in learning to ride the Harleys when she saw one of her sheriff's academy instructors ride up on one.
Once again, her husband encouraged her to follow her dream.
She said the most difficult part of training was learning how to right the Harley and preventing it from tipping over while maneuvering at slow speeds.
"Luckily, I didn't burn out the clutch or damage the bike," she said, chuckling. "It really wasn't that hard. I just think people get intimidated by the bigness of the bike."
The two other women who were certified to ride the Harleys are Cdr. Maggie Cesnick, who retired this year, and Deputy Darcel Rogan, who no longer rides for the department.