All summer long, we’ve had the benefit of Luzerne County Deputy Sheriffs helping with traffic control on many of the larger benefit runs. These men and one woman have given up their time each weekend to help keep the motorists and motorcyclists safe throughout the summer. You may have seen them on their bikes stopping traffic for a group of riders. A quick rundown of the events where they’ve helped out include the Forgotten Warriors ride, The SPCA ride, the Stephanie Jallen benefit ride and the Trooper Joshua Miller ride. Last weekend found them on Saturday at the Pittston Tomato Festival, and on Sunday they pulled a double starting at 6:30 a.m. out at Harveys Lake for the YMCA triathlon and then headed down to Kmart to help with the Cystic Fibrosis ride in the rain. But that’s all in a day’s work for these dedicated officers.
The motorcycle division isn’t something new to the county, in fact it’s been around since 1976. Captain Richard Moskaluk told the story of how it got started a scant four years before he started in 1980.
“Sheriff Jagodinski started it,” he said. “At the time we were riding with the Irem Temple bikes. He thought it would be a great idea to get the bikes in the Sheriff’s Office. It would be recognizable, and it has been.”
Because of their growing prominence, the deputies have now been organized into ranks. Their leader is Captain Moskaluk, and his Lieutenant is Anthony Bonavina.
The county’s newest sheriff, John Gilligan, who was sworn into office on June 10, said, “One of the first things I did was getting (the motorcycle division) sworn in under my term because they are so instrumental to the department. This is an organization that I want to keep and I want to keep satisfied.”
Each officer buys his or her own uniform and rides his or her own bike in the service of the county. The deputies wear the brown uniforms previously worn by the Sheriff’s Office.
“In my opinion, they deserve some recognition,” Gilligan said. “It’s all volunteer, and anytime I call them, it’s ‘yep, no problem.’ They are fantastic guys.”
Sheriff Chief Carl Zawatski, who was sheriff from 1996- 2000, endorses the motorcycle division emphatically.
“They volunteer their time,” he said. “They really give their time and effort for everything. They are really great.”
Lt. Anthony Bonavina expressed, “It’s hard to find people out there that want to donate their time and their money to help out the county itself.” Bonavina’s wife Maryann and their son Danny are all working together. Maryann is the only woman in the division. Maryann says that she joined because her husband was riding. Danny, who rides a Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider, has been riding with them for two years.
One of the more impressive bikes in this division belongs to Cpl. Daniel Kocher. It’s a big Boss Hoss Hog. Kocher has been riding with the division for about three years now. You won’t be able to miss this bike; It’s a huge, gleaming white bike with the Stars and Stripes painted on it.
Very impressed with all of this, I asked how you can join.
“There was a couple we’ve turned down because something came up on their background check,” Zawatski said. “If you have something on your background, don’t apply.” All you have to do is contact Zawatski or stop in the Sheriff’s Office and sign an application. Be ready for a thorough background check.
If you think you might want to have the Sheriff’s motorcycle division work traffic for your event, start planning now — the more time that the office has to work with you on your map and plan, the better it is able to staff the event. The division might even have some safety suggestions for you.
I asked Gilligan what his plans were for this group, and he replied with confidence.
“My plan for them is to let them go on as they are going.”
If you have a bike and you think you might be interested in joining this group, stop in the Sheriff’s Office located in the annex across the street from the Luzerne County Courthouse. Come on — I did!
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