Temecula Deputies Get New Wheels

Four motorcycles are at the end of their run and are scheduled to be replaced by four shiny new ones. 

The City Council approved the purchase of four Honda ST1300Ps for a total of $79,264, according to city records.

Though the city contracts its law enforcement services through the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the city paid for the motorcycles because it funds the traffic division, according to sheriff's Lt. Ron Heims.

"Because the traffic division is within the city, it becomes a component of the city and not the county," he said. "The traffic division is solely a city function therefore the cost falls within the city budget. The motorcycles will be city property."

The cost includes retrofitting the vehicles for law enforcement, according to Todd Baldwin, the general manager of Malcolm Smith Motorsports.

"The motorcycles will be prepped and ready to go for police work before delivery," he said.

The motorcycles should have their wheels on Temecula streets sometime next month, said dealership service manager Alexander Smith.

"We are just waiting for a purchase order from the city. Once we get that we expect to have the motorcycles delivered within 4 weeks," he said.

The city has adequate funds in the Police Department Budget in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, according to a city staff report.

In fiscal year 2008, the Temecula Police Department performed a one-year evaluation of brand new Harley Davidson, BMW and Honda police motorcycles. 

After the lengthy evaluation, the Honda motorcycle proved to be the front-runner. A notice was put on the city's website, and two qualified bids followed.

Callaway Motors, based in Riverside, won the bid. The dealership was purchased in March by Malcolm Smith Motorsports who will honor the deal and trade-in agreement that was in place prior to the sale of the dealership.