AR-15 Style Rifles on Tempe Police Motorcycles

Link to video above

More and more police agencies are issuing AR-15 style rifles to their officers, as police recognize the many advantages of the rifle for defense of self or others. One of the latest groups to be issued the rifles are Tempe, Arizona Motorcycle officers. Motorcycle officers present a challenge for AR-15 issue because a method had to be found to keep the rifles both available and secure.

Link to video

From phoenixnewtimes.com:

The latest accessory for Tempe police motorcycles is causing double-takes in this Phoenix suburb: a rear-mounted AR-15 rifle.

The department quietly has outfitted eight of its duty motorcycles, more than half, with the upright mounts for semiautomatic rifles.

Chief Sylvia Moir, the former chief of El Cerrito, California, brought the idea with her when she was hired by Tempe in September 2016, and it was embraced by officers, said Tempe police Commander Michael Pooley.

AR15 rifles are common in many police and sheriff departments. The special motorcycle mount used by the Tempe Officers are said to make removal of the rifle difficult, unless the “tricks” are known.

It appears a combination of movements is required to remove the rifle. it is also possible that  an electronic lock is used that may be dependent on an RFID device or similar system.

The maker of the gun mount used in Tempe was not readily found. I suspect Alternative Vehicle Accessory Manufacturing in Prescott Arizona. The add shown does not give a picture of their motorcycle mount for police, but their description seems compatible with the Tempe mount.

The advantages of an AR-15 variant for a patrol rifle include 20-30 round, easily available magazines, light weight, accuracy, ease of use, a significant power advantage over most pistols, and a familiarity gained from military experience.

All of those advantages apply to everyday citizens of the United States, who, after all, by definition, face similar threats as police officers do.

 Tempe Police thought their might be negative reactions to carrying AR-15 rifles on motorcycles. That did not happen. From phoenixnewtimes.com:

Pooley said the agency was braced for a backlash when it deployed the guns: “We’re always concerned about public perceptions. We don’t want people to think we’re carrying these around for no reason.”

So far, he said, the agency has “gotten a lot of positive feedback” from people in the community.

Arizona, as a state, is known as a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. It is likely most of the residents of Arizona recognize America’s Rifle, and respect its capabilities and advantages for both police and non-police alike.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch