Woman rides aboard motorcycle patrol

Marisa O’Neil

It’s the most dangerous job on a police force, and Penny Freeman --

Newport Beach Police Department’s first woman motorcycle officer --

couldn’t be happier about her decision.

Freeman, 41, and Matt Keyworth, 26, the newest motorcycle officers

for Newport Beach Police, started patrolling the streets last week.

And although the police motorcycle detail has traditionally been

associated with men, there’s no reason women can’t do the job, as

long as they have the skills and strength, Newport Beach Sgt. Ron

Vallercamp said.

Anyone who wants to work patrol on a motorcycle needs to be strong

enough to lift a 600-pound-plus bike off the ground and also has to

have the balance and skill to weave it in intricate patterns at slow

speeds.

“Riding a motorcycle as we do takes finesse and control rather

than brute strength,” Vallercamp said.

Freeman, who has worked for the department nearly six years, had

very little experience riding motorcycles when she applied for one of

the two spots available on the detail. She and Keyworth completed the

challenging, four-week motorcycle training together.

“It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said.

“It’s physically demanding.”

Even Keyworth, who has eight years of motorcycle-riding

experience, had to relearn riding techniques during the training.

“It’s a different style,” he said. “They teach you to ride at

100%.”

Gender doesn’t play a role in a motorcycle officer’s ability to

perform the job, Keyworth said.

Freeman came from an athletic background and previously worked as

a bicycle officer for the department. Her husband, Newport Beach Sgt.

John Freeman, used to be a motorcycle officer with the department.

The only challenging thing about being a woman in her new role,

she said, was lifting the motorcycle off the ground if it falls.

Though men typically have more upper-body strength, even people

lacking it can manage it if they know how, she said.

“Strength is an issue,” she said. “It’s harder for me to pick up a

bike [than it would be for] a man,” she said. “Learning the technique

to do that was challenging.”

She’s the first woman Vallercamp can remember applying for the

position at the department. Costa Mesa has never had a woman apply,

said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver, who worked nearly 10 years

as a motorcycle officer.

The overall demands of the job -- being exposed to the elements,

having to be extra-vigilant for careless drivers -- makes it

unappealing for many officers, male or female. Most either love the

idea of riding a motorcycle on patrol or have no interest in it at

all, he said -- and the right mentality is key for motorcycle

officers.

“There’s not a female here I don’t think I could train and get

through motor school,” he said. “But if you don’t want to go on a

motorcycle, you can’t. You’ll get hurt.”

Penny Freeman and Keyworth are acutely aware of that fact. Two of

their fellow officers, Dave Kresge and Matthew Chmura, were seriously

injured last month when a car turned in front of them.

Motorcycle officers have to rely on their training to avoid

accidents whenever possible, Keyworth said. The anti-lock brakes on

the department’s new BMW motorcycles -- which the two officers will

move to after getting used to patrolling on the Kawasakis they

trained on -- also help make the job a little safer.

But there are no guarantees, they said.

“It is a very dangerous job,” Penny Freeman said. “We’re

definitely not complacent.”

Her husband worries about her on the job but couldn’t be prouder,

he said.

“That’s the most dangerous thing you could do as a police

officer,” he said. “But she wanted to do it. Our lives are made up of

memories. We don’t want to miss any opportunities.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.