Familiar police unit is curbed

The State Police motorcycle unit -- a familiar presence on state highways and at the scene of riots and rallies -- has been disbanded at least temporarily to save money, troopers in the unit said yesterday.

As of Jan. 23, the troopers were reassigned to cruisers across the state and many of their motorcycles are resting idly in their garages at home, troopers said. While troopers say they are committed to working in cruisers, they fear public safety will be compromised by not having motorcycles at the ready to escort VIPs, control crowds, and weave through traffic to the scene of a crime or an accident.

Trooper Daniel Gale, a two-year member of the motorcycle unit, has been reassigned to midnight shifts in a cruiser out of the Russell barracks; his Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, painted in French and electric blue, sits in his garage at home.

''It's just discouraging," Gale said. ''We were utilized so much and we were so active and now we're the first to be negatively impacted because of fiscal mismanagement." The move comes at a time when public safety officials are concerned about possible rioting following next Sunday's Super Bowl, and following heavy use of motorcycle patrols at the Democratic National Convention and for Red Sox postseaon crowd control, union officials said.

Trooper John P. Coflesky, president of the troopers' union, estimated it would cost between $3 million and $4 million to reactivate the motorcycle unit, which has 40 members. He said the union has filed a grievance with Colonel Thomas G. Robbins, the State Police superintendent who made the decision, contending that he violated the troopers' contracts.

The union also says the move will hurt public safety. ''We're going to do our jobs and we have a professional attitude," said Coflesky, who heads the State Police Association of Massachusetts. ''But it's going to take a little bit longer because now we don't have the same number of patrols that we had prior."

Lieutenant Sharon Costine, a spokeswoman for Robbins, strongly disputed any impact on public safety, saying the number of patrols would stay the same or increase statewide. Costine was exasperated by Coflesky's remarks.

''How would it take anyone more time to arrive at the scene because they're not on a motorcycle?" Costine said. ''They're in a cruiser. What we've done is put additional patrols in the barracks. It's the complete opposite. How can you even make that statement? You've taken these troopers that were in a specialty unit and put them into barracks."

The move was made to cut overtime costs, Costine said, though she was not able to provide a figure. Troopers who ride motorcycles normally range among barracks; now they will fill in for shifts at barracks, relieving troopers who have been working overtime to maintain minimum staffing levels. Usually three troopers must be assigned to a barracks at a time, and the State Police have been grappling with reduced numbers because of retirements in recent years, Costine said.

Some motorcycle troopers called the decision misguided.

''Personally, I think it's a giant step backward for the State Police," said Trooper David Cortese of the motorcycle unit, who was reassigned to a cruiser in the Holden barracks. ''There are fewer officers out there to assist the public and fewer to assist each other if one of us is needed."

But Costine said the State Police had no choice other than to curb the unit. She expressed hope the motorcycles would be redeployed once the Legislature adds money to the State Police budget. Governor Mitt Romney, with Robbins's support, has filed a bill to provide the funds, Costine said.