Behind the Badge
If you see Orange County Sheriff’s Department Motor Deputy Greg Allen in your side-view mirror, it’s probably not an exclamation of happiness that will issue from your lips.
But considering Allen’s mission of keeping you safe, you may want to reconsider how you see him.
“If I can be out there and write a few tickets and make people think … if it saves one life, then it’s all worth it really,” he says.
Allen began his career in law enforcement 35 years ago and has been working in OCSD’s Lake Forest branch for a little more than five years. He has been riding a motorcycle most of his life, and since he’s a motor deputy, he takes particular interest in warning civilian riders to slow down and be careful.
“I try to talk to these guys that I pull over on motorcycles,” he says. “They don’t always listen. They just want to go out there and have fun.”
O.C. Sheriff’s Department Motor Dep. Greg Allen began his career in law enforcement 35 years ago and has been working in OCSD’s Lake Forest branch for a little more than five years. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Unfortunately, Allen is often also there to see the consequences of reckless driving – including serious injuries and deaths.
“I try to tell these guys, you really need to slow down,” he says.
Whether motorcycle rider or motor vehicle driver, Allen approaches whomever he stops with a mind toward education and explains why the rule exists (why there are no U-turns here, for example). “Selling your ticket,” he says, adding that taking that small step often helps put drivers at ease. Of course, some will still want to argue and insist on getting a warning instead.
While depending on the situation, he may issue a warning, but he has learned that they won’t always do the job.
“I have found over the years I’m pulling these same people over for a violation,” he says.
In fact, the more visible he is about writing tickets, the more drivers start to mind their Ps and Qs. He recalls one particularly busy day of ticket writing when drivers commented on how many officers there were writing tickets. Even though he was the only one working the area that day, it made an impression on people.
“That’s how you actually get traffic accidents to go down – people think there’s a lot of officers,” he says.
O.C. Sheriff’s Department’s Motor Dep. Greg Allen shows the radar gun he uses.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Last year, Allen wrote the most number of citations of all the motor deputies in OCSD – 3,000. He averages about 20 a day (other motor deputies tend to range between six and 10).
But this isn’t some quota he’s trying to fill. Allen genuinely wants to help keep the community safe.
And to do that, his job doesn’t only involve writing tickets. He also pays attention to patterns in problem areas. Is a stop sign hidden behind a tree? Is the sun reflecting off of a no U-turn sign? If he believes there is an underlying problem, he will report it to the engineering department so experts can investigate and fix any issues.
Allen’s days aren’t all about traffic enforcement. Since all of the recent police shootings, he’s noticed a surge of support from the public.
“I’ve never had as many people come up to me and want to thank me for what we do,” he says. “It does make you feel proud.”
