Gary Rutherford fulfills his childhood dream each time he mounts a motorcycle and helps to police area communities as a volunteer officer in the Ingham County Sheriff's Department.

"When I was a little boy, I thought the most impressive thing in the world was to be a motor officer," he said.

Rutherford and Kurt Bagner were sworn in as part of the sheriff's department on May 25 and are the first volunteer motorcycle officers to join the county's police force.

Both men carry guns and have the power to arrest individuals, despite their volunteer status.

"As you get older, you start to appreciate the things around you, and at some point in your life, you want to give back," Rutherford said.

Rutherford owns Central Ford Truck Sales Inc. in Lansing, and Bagner owns Tasmanian Tire Co. in Holt.

To qualify for the positions, both Rutherford and Bagner completed more than 116 hours of advanced motorcycle training, in addition to specialized police training that taught them about first aid, firearms and defensive tactics.

"I had taken the civilian course, and the training for officers was much more challenging," he said.

In talks with Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth spanning about seven months, Rutherford said he put forth a large effort into creating volunteer motorcycle positions at the department.

By allowing volunteer officers to take on some police responsibilities, other officers are free to pursue calls for service and various cases, Ingham County police Sgt. Vern Elliott said.

"They fulfill a lot of obligations for us as far as traffic control things, parades and funerals," he said.

Bagner said he takes many things away from serving his community and simply enjoys the feeling of riding a motorcycle. He has owned a bike since 2000.

"When the craze started, I and some other businessmen in the community got them," he said. "You can jump on your bike and combine it with a business activity."

The department is training and recruiting other men and women to serve in the motorcycle unit.

"Two new officers are coming aboard," Rutherford said. "The course they take is extremely hard, and the fail rate is 70 percent. We really want to spend some time training with these candidates."