Image courtesy of Mauricio Steffek.
By Vanessa Wenzl
The St. Petersburg Police Department is home to Mauricio Steffek, one of three full-time motorcycle officers. Steffek strives to make an impact on duty, serving courage, bravery and even more positivity.
Pinellas County is home to two agencies, City of St. Petersburg and Largo, with motor patrol. Steffek has worked on the force for 27 years and has been a motorcycle officer with the city of St. Petersburg since 2008.
After a presentation by his high school basketball coach, Steffek’s law enforcement story started that presentation day in his junior year.
His coach was a Pinellas County deputy and his mother also worked in the department, creating a fascination.
“I thought to myself if he could do it, why couldn’t I?” Steffek said. “A typical day in the life of a motor officer in our city revolves around traffic enforcement and education in efforts to keep the roadways safe for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians,” Steffek said. “Work is typically done during day shift schedules due to more risk factors for the motor officer when it is dark.”
The duties and responsibilities of a motor officer are the same as any patrol car officer working throughout the city.
The motor police unit is specialized, so some responsibilities in a workday could include demonstrations to the community.
Outside of the daily traffic stops, Steffek connects with the community through school presentations, parades and demonstrations for various events and organizations.
Steffek also recently assisted Montel Williams with a military makeover on a St. Petersburg veteran’s home.
As public safety is a given on the list of duties, so is making public contact throughout their shifts.
“These contacts may be during various operations such as school zones, high crash intersections, FDOT grants and monthly district specific operations,” Steffek said.
The job comes with challenges other than being in one of the most dangerous in the agency.
Motor officers don’t have the same protection that one would with a four wheeled car.
“A crash could result in more serious injury than someone in a car,” said Steffek. “Additionally, the environmental stressors such as heat, cold, rain, etc. can impact the officer’s ability to safely operate their assigned motorcycle.”
The assigned motorcycle Steffek rides is currently a Harley Davidson.
Over the years of riding these bikes, he says they have made many advancements like traction control, ABS brakes, suspension and heated grips for him and other officers to patrol safely.
Communication is also something that has come a long way in his position.
“Other advancements in communication such as Bluetooth helmets make it safer for the rider to communicate with dispatch,” Steffek said. “Long gone are handwritten citations as everything is done via an onboard laptop and printer.”
The most important skill to possess for the job to him is above average communication.
As the public narrative of being stopped by an officer may be unpleasant and some might not even interact with another officer again, Steffek considers this an opportunity to change the community’s perception.
“Most men and women performing this job try their best to protect and serve their communities and it only takes a few bad officers to change the view of society towards the police profession,” Steffek said. “Making these contacts or any other interaction with the public is an opportunity for the officer to leave a positive impression with the individual they are communicating with,” Steffek said. “In my position I feel that the majority of my contacts become positive encounters even through enforcement and education.”
Individuals on the motor force need to be able to also have coordination and teamwork skills when working with other resources of the law. Steffek believes that these skills can come in handy when working with other units like K9, air support, perimeters, and especially working high profile cases. Cases can often be escorts for parades, toy drives, funerals, or high-profile escorts in town.
One of the most memorable moments for Officer Steffek was working the escort for the Superbowl LV Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the. Kansas City Chiefs at the Raymond James Stadium in 2021.
“The work as a motor officer is difficult but there is no other position in which I’d rather be in,” Steffek said.
As Officer Steffek has built his fulfilled career as a motor officer, he is rewarded daily with his passion for riding.
