The History of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department Motorcycle Unit
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is located in Athens, Georgia, approximately 65 miles Northeast of Atlanta. The governments of the City of Athens and Clarke County were unified on January 14, 1991, becoming Georgia’s second unified government.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has an authorized strength of 231 sworn positions, 63 civilian positions and 28 crossing guards. We were the 48th police department to be recognized nationally as an accredited police department and the first to receive certification by the State of Georgia. The Athens Police Department started its motor unit in the early 1920s. The County was separate then and did not have a motor unit. Currently, Athens-Clarke County Police Department has 10 Motorcycles, a couple Harley-Davidson Police Road Kings and Harley-Davidson Police Electra-Glides. The Motor Unit is part of the Traffic Unit.
The University of Georgia has the oldest state-chartered University in the United States, is located Athens. There are approximately 30,000 students and approximately 10,000 faculty and staff positions at UGA. The University campus covers 4, 308 acres in Athens with the main part of the campus adjoining downtown Athens.
Athens-Clarke County has a population of approximately 103, 881 people. Athens is home to the world’s only double barrel cannon and the famed tree the owns itself. Athens has a large artistic community and has garnered attention for its vibrant music scene. The combination of artists, student and local Athenians creates a very diverse population presenting unique challenges for the law enforcement community.
Information and Photos provided by the Athens-Clarke County, GA Police Department.