# 1940s LAPD POLICE MOTORCYLE PATROLMAN RECRUITMENT FILM HARLEY DAVIDSON PANHEAD MOTORCYCLE 54074

The Los Angeles Police Department presents “Your Traffic Officer,” a late 1940s black-and-white training film that shows what it takes to be a motorcycle patrolman on the new freeways in post-World War II California. Six people lost their lives on a “modern highway” in the past year (probably the 110 Freeway) the narrator explains at the film commences. The efficient execution of traffic regulations is key to keeping the roads safe. A motorcycle officer zooms across the screen (mark 00:53 ) as the narrator explains how a well-trained officer can make the difficult job look easy, and are offered the position only after passing physical and educational requirements. Mark 01:45 takes the viewer to a training class as instructors are shown teaching “the safe way to ride.” The training film offers detailed information on each part of the motorcycle, from carburetor to siren. Trainees are shown how to run the engine and operator the speedometer (mark 04:50 ), as well as how to operate the front and rear wheel brakes. Each element is put together starting at mark 05:30 as the training officer starts his engine, and then shown how they operate together on the road (mark 06:37 ). New recruits are encouraged to also learn from veterans as part of their on-the-job training (mark 07:45 ) “and learn your job by doing,” we are told. The motorcycle shown at 1:29 appears to be a Harley 74 cubic inch panhead. This was the sport bike of its time as it featured overhead valves instead of a…

- Kind: Film
- Genres: Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/54074YourTrafficOfficer)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/54074YourTrafficOfficer?play=1)