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For Sgt. Roy Russell, who heads the county police department's motorcycle squad, police competitions mean more than just driving his Harley Davidson through cones and up and down teeter-totters: They're a training tool.

He said having motorcycle officers compete in the driving competitions helps him teach squad members better ways to police Montgomery County.

So his recent award as the overall champion at the National Police Motorcycle Rodeo wasn't as much a personal accolade as it was a teaching experience, and a championship as a team.

"It's always nice to win, but the most important thing is the team," said Russell, of Boyds. "Individually we've all done well, but we look at it as an opportunity for camaraderie and training."

Russell is the supervisor for the 2nd District Traffic squad, as well as the training coordinator for all motorcycle officers in the Montgomery County Police. He is in charge of the county's fleet of 28 Harleys, which spread out across each of the county's six districts.

Three or four times a year Russell and eight to 10 rotating motorcycle officers make the trip to police motorcycle competitions across the country and Canada. The officers pay their own way, Russell said, but the department lets them take the time off.

As for the National Rodeo, held Aug. 16 at RFK Stadium in Washington, Russell cleaned up. Finishing higher than 50 officers from Montgomery County, Fairfax County, U.S. Capitol and U.S. Park Police, and Secret Service officers, Russell finished in first place in the Challenge Ride, Speed Run, Slow Ride and Overall categories.

Russell pointed out that he may have just had a lucky day; that other MCPD officers are better riders. Other motorcycle officers said he's just deflecting the truth.

"None of us would be here if it wasn't for him," said Officer Michael Kane, of Silver Spring. "He's the glue that holds us all together. He's the one who's nurtured all of us."

Kane said Russell, who has been with MCPD since 1981, is responsible for getting the traffic squad quality bikes, as well as a setting up a designated motorcycle course at county's Public Safety Training Academy in Rockville. He's the only officer in the county designated as a "master instructor," said Officer John Bork, a fellow member of both the traffic squad and competitive team.

On Monday, Russell, Kane and Bork packed a police trailer with the bikes and headed to Milwaukee's Harley Davidson Police Motorcycle 100 Year Anniversary.

Russell, who also serves as vice president for the Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Riding Committee, said the competitions are a good way to get to know other police officers from around the country and to see how other departments train their motorcycle officers.

"You find you have a lot of things in common with the other motorcycle police," he said. "So you learn a little bit and bring it back to your community. Everything we do helps make the county safer."