In early 1910, the Seattle police department invested $1,329 in its first three motorcycles, with seven patrolman selected as the first members of the "motor cops" squad. At the time, speeding fines were paid to King County rather than the city of Seattle, and the city hoped to pass a traffic ordinance which would allow it to keep fines for itself. Purchasing motorcycles was seen as an investment to help with this goal. Within a few years, the city's motorcycle squad had expanded to 15 machines. By 1932, the department had 33 motorcycles, and patrolmen drove over 173,000 miles in the course of duty.

This photo shows members of the Seattle Police Department motorcycle corps lined up on a dirt road in August 1941. The photo may be related to the Potlatch parade held on August 2, 1941, which was reported to have been headed by a motorcycle police escort.

Caption information source: "Motorcycles in police service," Seattle Daily Times, November 1, 1914, page 49.
Caption information source: "Parade today big highlight for Potlatch," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 1, 1941, p. 1.