Suburban motorcycle cops get refresher course

On a dark and rainy Thursday, police officers from around the Northwest suburbs gathered at the Alexian Field parking lot in Schaumburg for the last of a three-day police motorcycle skills refresher course given by Elk Grove Village Officer David Struwing.

The officers worked on patrol skills like low-speed maneuvering, braking and escaping exercises, which are meant to enhance officers' skills so they can stay safe while on patrol.

On the skills course, the officers had to maneuver through figure eights and other obstacles and finish with a 180-degree deceleration exercise.

"All these skills are required for all the motor officers to remain safe while on the street," Struwing said.

This is the second year he's held his free refresher course for area motorcycle officers. All those who take the course have already been through the two-week school sponsored by Northwestern University; this is meant to be a refresher course after a long winter of not riding.

Both courses are all about safety and specific training that goes beyond what the regular motorcyclist requires. It's all about how to best use the bike while on patrol.

Struwing is a 15-year veteran of Elk Grove Village police and has been a traffic officer for eight years. He got the idea of becoming an motor officer instructor while attending a 2005 operators course in Joliet. Realizing a need for trained instructors in the Northwest suburbs, he petitioned his superiors to attend a three-week instructors course in Memphis in spring 2006. He stayed with family there to help defer the departments cost for him to attend.

Struwing will hold one-day courses in June and July with a possible third one in August. The classes are free to all area motor officers who want to hone their motorcycle patrol skills.