Santa Barbara now has its first female motorcycle officer

The Santa Barbara Police Department now has its first female motorcycle officer. After completing a training session that included specific motorcycle drills, and on street rides, Officer Tiffany Keller has qualified to join the motorcycle fleet.

There are now 12 officers, trained to ride motorcycles.

For Keller, it was a goal she’s had since joining the force five years ago.

“I’ve been wanting to ride for a long time. It was a good opportunity to get some real food training more than you would normally would in a public class,” said Keller. “We’ve gone through plenty of parking structures, inclines through the Riviera, which was very interesting because of the different grades.”

To complete her certification, Keller had to be able to lift up her 750 pound motorcycle when it was on its side.

She will now be patrolling either in a squad car or on a motorcycle depending on the department’s needs.