Motor Squad

Department Resources

The Meaning of "The Winged Wheel"

The Wing: Represents Swiftness.
The Arrow: Precision.
The Wheel: Motion.

A Police Motorcycle is Swift Precise Motion.

Further reading: Police History: The evolution of motor patrol in American policing.

About the Motor Squad

The Squad

The Fairfax County Police Motor Squad consists of 32 full-time officers divided into two squads. Additionally, the Squad has supplemental officers who are assigned to ride twice a month and maintain the same qualification standards as the full-time officers. There are many duties that these officers are tasked with daily, including funeral escorts, traffic enforcement, and numerous community outreach programs. These officers are experts in traffic flow and incident control for the continued service of commerce and traffic safety.

Full-Time Officers

Squads

2x Monthly

Supplemental Ride Cadence

"The mission statement of these officers is to ensure the safety of all motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This is done through aggressive enforcement of the traffic laws of the Commonwealth."

Aggressive Enforcement Priorities

Officers on the Motor Squad will aggressively enforce:

Distracted Driving
Acts of Aggressive Driving
Speeding
Occupant Protection

Training & Skills

Monthly Training, Yearly Qualification

Riding a motorcycle in the metropolitan area is dangerous, so the skill and training of Motor Officers is paramount. The Motor Squad trains monthly with emphasis on traffic law updates, emergency braking, and precision cone course riding. Each Motor Officer must pass a yearly qualification to maintain their positions.

These officers train and ride in all kinds of weather and will only park their motorcycles if there is snow, or ice on the ground.

Motor Rodeos

Another form of training is police motorcycle safety competitions. These seminars, or rodeos, are hosted throughout the United States and regularly involve officers from multiple jurisdictions. The Motor Squad attempts to attend at least two rodeos a year as they are unique opportunity for both networking with other riders and challenging their skills in a competitive atmosphere. Furthermore, these sessions help officers train skills they would exercise in emergency braking, or accident-avoidance maneuvers.

Special Assignments

Other special assignments include:

Ride of the Patriots: Originates in Fairfax City, then proceeds into Washington DC. The Motor Squad will escort these riders and ensure their safe travel, by redirecting traffic and temporarily closing major roadways.
Honor Flight: The squad also participates in Honor Flight, a charity which transports veterans of past wars to area airports, then brings them to memorials in Arlington and Washington DC so they may pay their respects.
Fallen Officer Escorts: Unfortunately, there are instances where the squad is called upon to assist in, or attend, the escorts of a fallen officer. The squad has travelled near and far to pay their respects. The fact that these officers attend goes noticed by all and is appreciated by the family members and those affected departments.
Santa's Ride: Santa's Ride is in its 35th year in the County. The officers assigned to this seasonal mission are charged with collecting toys for children who are housed in area hospitals, like Fairfax INOVA and Children's Hospital in Georgetown, Washington DC. The officers accept donations of unopened toys from the district stations, schools, and private partnerships. Santa and his helpers then ride throughout the County visiting with participating schools and spreading holiday cheer. So, if you see Santa on a motorcycle, give him a wave and honk.

Traffic Response & Road Operations

Focused Traffic Enforcement

Commonly Motor Officers are requested by citizens, or district commanders, to conduct focused traffic enforcement on roadways that have been designated as 'high volume' or 'high violation'. The goal is to deter drivers from dangerous behavior, so that everyone may travel the roadways safely. These enforcement efforts begin only after proper research is conducted; assignments will come from a District Commander, then a Motor Officer will verify that the area is safe for citizens, pedestrians, and officers to enforce these laws. Often these efforts lead to more than simple traffic violations and evidence of larger crimes occurring within the County may be found.

Road Hazards & Closures

Removing road debris during inclement weather is also attended to by motor officers. Heavy precipitation, or decreased temperatures, may cause tree limbs to snap and fall onto the roadway. If there is a delayed response from VDOT in these incidents, Motor Officers are deployed with the necessary equipment, to support roadway reopening and safe passage.

Motor Officers assist with road closures for vehicular and pedestrian safety. Heavy rains and downed trees, or power lines, are routine throughout the County. Officers are familiar with danger areas and know how to respond to these events with a detour plan. Follow the signs provided and the direction of the officer(s) and you will be on your way again.

Unfortunately, there may be times when traffic control is needed for long term road closures. The goal is to minimize the impact on citizens and commerce. When possible a collaborative plan between the Fire Department, or utility services, is rapidly implemented. Motor Officers are trained to handle these types of incidents and understand the importance of reopening roads as soon as possible.

Traffic Incident Management Vehicle (TRV)

The Traffic Incident Management Vehicle (TRV) is one of the most valuable tools in supporting these goals. Often this is the primary vehicle you see deployed to the scene of these events. It is equipped with generators that can supply power to traffic signal boxes, several hundred cones, tree removal tools, and other traffic control devices.

Funeral Escorts

One of the most dangerous tasks for the Motor Squad is conducting funeral escorts. Funeral directors are responsible with making these requests. The final decision depends on certain conditions which include weather, personnel, escort size, location, and time. When you see these processions coming through, please pay attention to the officers' directions; the closure will not last long and normal traffic flow will resume.

Community Outreach

Motor Officers assist with numerous outreach programs offered by the department to include the Road Dawg program, which provides summertime activities for school-aged children as an alternative to staying at home. In addition, they partner with the Community Police Academy, Future Women Leaders in Law Enforcement, and Fairfax County Public Schools to teach classes on traffic stops, safe driving habits, and more.

Parades

There are numerous parades in the area that the Motor Squad participate in as a form of community outreach. These parades are a showcase of officers' maneuverability and skills. Some of these parades include:

The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Old Town, Alexandria
The Apple Blossom Parade in Winchester
Halloween Parade in Vienna
In the past, the Cherry Blossom Parade, Washington DC

Fairfax County Police Department

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