They've been on their Kawasakis for only a few days. But already the two new Los Altos motorcycle police officers, working traffic enforcement, are making a difference.
Just ask Jim Wall.
"I use cruise control now," he said, for his commute to work down Almond Avenue and San Antonio Road into downtown. He sets it at 26 for Almond and then cranks it up to 36 for San Antonio.
"I'm delighted to have (the officers) out there," Wall said. He is president of the Bank of Los Altos.
Others are worried about a storm trooper attitude motoring through town. Officials braced for possible negative feedback. So far, none has come to the city.
"I have not heard anything from the community, good, bad or ugly," said Police Chief Lucy Carlton.
"I have gotten a couple of calls from people wondering when (the motorcycle officers) will work on their street. I take that to be a positive, that we have these resources to work on this issue," she said.
Police Capt. Cliff Balch has heard nothing, either. He works with the Neighborhood Traffic Advisory Task Force, which lobbied hard for these additional officers.
He figures no news is good news.
"Of course, the task force is ecstatic," Balch said. They met Jan. 4.
One resident has suggested the officers are on "some type of quota system."
"Absolutely not," Balch said. In fact, that is "specifically prohibited in the vehicle code," he said. "It's not a good way of doing business."
There's plenty of work to do. We don't need to tell them to go out and write a certain amount of tickets."
Let the good times roll.