good afternoon and welcome I'm bill Davidson recently appointed to the new vice president position of this wonderful location the harley-davidson museum and I am very very excited for this celebration that's going on right now I'd like to welcome everybody here and this is truly a milestone historic event a hundred years of riding together the Milwaukee Police Department and harley-davidson how about it I'd like to say it's Milwaukee's finest on Milwaukee's finest what do you think you know we've had quite a history of motorcycle patrol people in fleet sales in fact in 1925 we had about 2,500 departments across the u.s. utilizing harley-davidson motorcycles our motorcycles were designed and fit for the durability and reliability that the patrol groups were looking for and I'm happy to say that today we have over 3,000 agencies around the u.s. in Canada and we are in 45 different countries I have to tell you when my family Willie and I our riders our dealers travel around the world and see patrol officers sitting on our beautiful motorcycles it is something that just says wow what a great sight and I have to tell you the family in the Motor Company is so very proud of all of you in all of the patrol officers around the world that are riding in our great products and I'd like to see on the behalf of harley-davidson thank you very much we're so proud of that that we have dedicated a pretty good-sized space inside the museum that depicts that long term heritage and I'd invite all of you to take an opportunity to look at that display it's pretty exciting so before I continue I'd like to thank chief Flynn sergeant Edwards and all of the patrol officers that are here thank you so very very much and now I'd like to introduce my dad Willie G Davidson as he has a little something he'd like to present thank you thank you I extend my welcome as well this is a moving sight to see all these great motorcycles parked here great motorcycles in a great city and great riders next to them we're proud to be a part of harley-davidson and I'm sure you're proud to ride these great motorcycles and I'm happy that they've been on the force for a hundred years that's that's a pretty amazing number and we we are happy to celebrate right along with you so I have a I have a certificate that this this is I'm gonna give this to chief Flynn it's presented to the Markey Police Department on May 13th 2010 commemorating a hundred years with harley-davidson motorcycles and this will be engraved on a rivet which is a state with steel circular device that will be implanted in our plaza which is adjacent to this great Museum so I'm happy to present this to you and congratulate you thank you I extend my extend my thanks to the Davidson family and the Harley Davidson corporation for inviting us into their home here for this roll call that recognizes the hundred years of continuous service of the Milwaukee Police Department motorcycle squad first thing I want to say is this I love the smell of motorcycle exhaust it smells like victory you've done a remarkable job these last couple of years readjusting your primary mission from traffic enforcement as a standalone specialty of this Police Department to traffic enforcement as a major crime fighting tool and your deployments to some of our highest crime areas rigorously enforcing traffic laws has resulted in numerous seizures of firearms the clearance of violence crimes the apprehension of violent criminals and the seizure of large quantity of drugs so I commend and thank every member of this unit for their strong contributions to maintaining safety on the streets of this city second I commend you for a hundred years of continuous service and I want to reflect on the fact that sergeant Edwards has been the sergeant in the motorcycle unit for I think most of those 100 years we thank him for his service we thank him for his leadership when it comes to safety behaviors and learning how to alight from vehicles that otherwise are headed for a motor vehicle accident I think he's been a splendid example to all of you for avoiding serious injury in motorcycle accidents so I thank him for that contribution I think it's a worthwhile to note that the members of this unit and the Milwaukee Police Department of the innovators and the use of motorcycles for many years we are the only unit in the country that can boast of using Harley Davidsons continuously for all of those 100 years you never had to learn by trial and error no motorcycle for diseases in the country you knew that all along and we have stuck with a winner we are also the first Police Department in the country to attach the Toughbook computers to the motorcycles and I know those have been very useful for you as you continue your crime control duties so we're very proud of your work proud of your crime prevention efforts proud of your traffic safety efforts proud of your performance as individuals and proud of your performance as a first-class tactical unit thank you you