Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Deputy Kristen Tarabetz of the Westside Substation, who does traffic enforcement in Saratoga, is the first female motorcycle deputy for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff's deputy adds a feminine touch to local motorcycle patrol
By Rebecca Ray
Deputy Kristen Tarabetz has ridden horses her whole life. She even volunteered as a reserve mounted deputy for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department before she started working there 15 years ago. But she hasn't owned a horse in seven years, because she doesn't have time to care for one.
Yet Tarabetz still finds time to ride, only now she's on a motorcycle.
Tarabetz is believed to be the first female motorcycle deputy to work for the Sheriff's Department. Since April 20, she has patrolled the streets of Saratoga on a bike, instead of in a car.
"I've discovered that motorcycles are much easier to keep than horses," Tarabetz, 37, said. "They are less expensive, in some ways, and you don't have to feed them, and you don't have to clean up after them. I traded in the four-legged for the two-wheeled."
Tarabetz, who has worked for the patrol division at the sheriff's office since 1995, applied to become a motorcycle traffic officer last fall. The department, at the time, had assigned two more deputies to traffic patrol to address residents' concerns about traffic.
According to Jeff Miles, former captain of the Westside Substation who is now a commander at the department, the sheriff's office ranked Tarabetz as No. 1 on the list of officers who applied to become motorcycle officers.
"I'm loving it, absolutely loving it," Tarabetz said. "It's the best job in the department."
Tarabetz said working from a bike has made enforcement more exciting, because it's given her a different perspective. She can observe from certain places and do other things she can't do from a car, she said, adding that this has motivated her to issue more tickets.
Tarabetz became interested in motorcycle patrol when she was in the patrol division, working in a car. There had been an accident and, when she arrived on the scene, she saw a motorcycle deputy taking a report, which intrigued her. Also, patrolling from a motorcycle seemed the next logical course. So, her husband, Ron, a motorcycle enthusiast, taught her how to ride, and she began to train to become a motorcycle officer.
Before Tarabetz took the 80-hour motorcycle training course at the Alameda County Sheriff's Training Facility in February, she had acquired the necessary skills and got a motorcycle license. She wanted to prove she was qualified, and didn't want people to think she'd gotten the job just because she was a woman, she said.
Although Tarabetz was the only woman in the motorcycle training class, she said it didn't bother her, because she knew she was qualified to be there.
For Tarabetz, becoming a motorcycle officer hasn't come without minor setbacks. Before she attended the training course, she bruised her heel in a training exercise and had to wait three additional weeks before working on the bike.
Also, at 5 feet 4 inches tall, Tarabetz's legs aren't as long as most other deputies,' and she has to plan more when she makes stops, jumps off the bike and positions it on a hill. She's even getting her seat and leather boots custom-made. Her boot size--a 3 1/2 in men's sizes--is the smallest the boot company has ordered.
To complicate matters, while Tarabetz underwent training, she took oral and written tests to become a sergeant. She expects to find out soon if she passed.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
