Starkville Police Department patrol officer Dylan Bowers will kick off his new role as a motorcycle officer by escorting motorcycles during the Sturgis Rally over the weekend. (Photo by Mary Rumore, SDN)
A new Starkville Police Department motorcycle officer will soon be seen on the streets of Starkville. Dylan Bowers is changing positions from patrol officer to motorcycle officer.
Bowers said he is originally from Boston, and he graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and sociology.
After graduating, he worked as a security guard for a few months before working in corrections at Northampton County Jail in Massachusetts. Afterwards, he worked for the TSA at Boston Logan International Airport prior to moving to Starkville where he was hired as a patrol officer in November of 2016.
Bowers will be joining the other motorcycle officer Corporal Andy Round, and SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said his first major assignment as a motorcycle officer will be escorting the other motorcycles during the Sturgis Rally over the weekend.
"I'm going to get on the motorcycles with Corporal Round and escort them around during the Rally," Bowers said.
Bowers said he has been ridingmotorcycles since he was young.
"The fact that I get to ride motorcycles, which I'm passionate about, and also do law enforcement and keep people safe on the roads—I love that I can combine the two into a career," Bowers said.
Bowers said he is most excited about getting to be on a motorcycle out in the community he serves.
"Everybody loves getting to see the motorcycles, especially the kids, kids love the motorcycles," Bowers said. "But also I'm excited about just getting out there and making sure everyone is safe on the roadway and following the rules of traffic."
Lovelady said Bowers will continue working as a patrol officer and motorcycle officer while newer officers are trained before he is officially moved into the position.
"A patrol officer answers day-to-day calls and does reports and things like that," Lovelady said. "When you think ‘police officer' that's where he's coming from."
Lovelady said the motorcycle officers' main focus will be traffic enforcement.
"Expect to see them out in full force now that their team is back together," Lovelady said.