SVPD’s Motorcycle Program Roars Back to Life With New Officer and New Wheels

In a recent episode of First Watch with Sheriff Mark Dannels on 92.3 KWCD, Grady Butler interviewed Sierra Vista Police Chief Chris Hiser. They talked about the return of a full‑time motorcycle officer to the Sierra Vista Police Department.

The discussion offered a behind‑the‑scenes look at how the program was rebuilt, how the new motorcycle officer was trained, and how the department secured not one but two motorcycles to get the unit rolling again.

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Officer Cuevas Hits the Road as SVPD’s New Motorcycle Cop

Chief Hiser explained that residents have been really curious about the new addition to the department. They’ve been asking about the motorcycle officer after spotting him around town.

“Some social media comments made it sound like we had more than one,” he joked. “We don’t; we just have one right now.” That one officer is Officer Cuevas, the first full‑time motorcycle traffic officer the department has had in years.

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Training Hard and Wearing Out the Old Bike

Cuevas earned the assignment after completing the Department of Public Safety (DPS) motorcycle school earlier this year.

The officer trained on an older Honda motorcycle that the department kept from previous years. According to Chief Hiser, “I think he pretty much killed that bike going through that school.”

By the time Cuevas graduated, the Honda was no longer reliable enough for duty, leaving the department in a tough spot between budget cycles.

A Harley From Yuma and a BMW From Phoenix

Resourcefulness and strong partnerships saved the day. The Yuma Police Department donated a Harley‑Davidson motorcycle, which SVPD re‑striped and outfitted for Cuevas. That allowed him to finally hit the streets full‑time this week.

Then came a bonus: the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety helped secure a second motorcycle, a nearly new BMW previously used by the Phoenix Police Department.

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With Phoenix shifting staffing, the bike became available, and SVPD jumped at the chance. Once it’s re‑marked and a second officer is selected, Chief Hiser expects two full‑time motorcycle officers on the road by the end of summer.

Photos courtesy of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, Grady Butler.