First female rider joins the CT State Police Motor Unit
Trooper First Class Jillian Leca is the first woman to join the Connecticut State Police Motor Unit in its 120 years of service.
By Luke Hajdasz
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SIMSBURY, Connecticut (WFSB) — The Connecticut State Police Motor Unit has been around for 120 years.
A lot can happen over the span of 120 years, but in that time the unit has never had a female member until now.
Trooper First Class Jillian Leca is the first female trooper to join the State Police Motor Unit.
“I thought I knew how to ride, until I went through this course,” said Leca.
The training course teaches troopers and officers how to maneuver these bikes. It’s a demanding three-week course that took Leca three times to ace.
Leca said, “I was just going to keep trying until I got it.”
Last month, twelve riders passed the course. It was the biggest graduating class ever; eight were state troopers.
“It’s not just for roads. You can go on grass, trails, get there if you need to,” said Leca.
Most often seen at high profile events like funerals or VIP escorts, the motor unit gets a lot of attention.
Troopers use the bikes more for these type events rather than practical patrol.
Leca hopes the more people see her riding, the more women she’ll have at her side.
“I hope another female rider out there sees this and goes ‘hey I’ll give it a shot,’” said Leca. “Even going out and riding with my husband, the amount of female riders is definitely smaller but it’s definitely growing in the past few years I’ve seen more female riders.”
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