Meet Los Gatos' Motorcycle Cops

Believe it or not, Los Gatos only has two motorcycle officers and they are Kimbal Stanley and Mario Carrizosa.

The officers work Monday through Thursday and Wednesday through Saturday, with each one working one or the other shift.

They work a 10-hour shift starting either early, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"It's a different assignment," says Carrizosa when asked to compare motorcycle police work to patrol police work, with the latter meaning the officer is in a vehicle.

But officer Stanley concedes that statistically there's more danger to the work.

Carrizosa explains that to become a motorcycle cop, a "specialized assignment," that requires officers to apply once the opportunity is available, submitting a memo of interest, being interviewed and going through a selection process.

Do the officers do traffic enforcement only? "Motorcycles are primarily traffic, but we assist in everything else, if needed," says Stanley.

What's the most common infraction monitored by the officers?

"It depends on the time of day," Carrizosa notes. "You'll have the morning commute traffic so everyone is in a hurry to get to work or to get their children to school. It's bumper to bumper until about 8:30 a.m. and then it slows down.

"Then you'll have your peak traffic hours between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Everybody gets out to lunch and anything after 3, 3:30 p.m. it's the commute traffic."

Carrizosa has worked for the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department for 14 years, in June of 1999, beginning his law-enforcement career with the agency.

Stanley has been a full-time officer for more than 11 years, since 2002. He worked as a volunteer reserve officer, however, for more than six years beginning in 1995.

"I decided to change careers and I love this job," Stanley says. "There's a lot of rewarding aspects to it."

What can the public do to help the officers? "Make driving a priority," answers Carrizosa.

"Pay attention when you're driving and be safe," offers Stanley.

Other words of caution: "Slow down and be careful," says Carrizosa.

Are townsfolk speeding more these days? "Everyone seems to be in a hurry and driving is secondary."

Stanley: "They don't stop at stop signs ... people violate lights, speed ... we go from place to place based on complaints."

Larger intersections in town are busier than smaller ones and traffic is busier when school is in session, they explained.

So will things get easier for the officers now that summer vacation is in full swing?

"It just changes. The weather is better so more people will be coming into town for dinner, festivals, concerts. Summertime is going to get busier," says Carrizosa.

At one time, there were four motorcycle officers, but with budget cuts only Carrizosa and Stanley are the two-wheeled cops on the road.