Pull Over - Sergeant John Joe Keigans

Meet one of the NYPD’s coolest motorcycle cops

- Isabell 'Rocsi' Rivera

Sergeant John Joe Keigans is an enigma. He is everything you would imagine a NYC police officer would be, and then he is also the complete opposite. But you won’t run into this 6’5” Brooklynite riding the subway or strolling through Times Square. Instead he rides exclusively with the NYPD as a motorcycle cop. He acts as an escort for the President and other prominent figures, rolls up on highway accidents and performs the somber duty of escorting family members of officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

Keigans has been officially serving for 14 years, the last four straddling a police-edition Harley-Davidson Road King for the NYPD Highway Patrol Unit 2. Although he doesn’t quite fit the profile, his swagger, size and tattoos cut an imposing and intimidating figure. With two complete sleeves and lots of leg work, Keigans is not a headto-toe guy…just yet. But he’s more tattooed than most officers today.

“The only places I don’t have tattoos are my thighs, ribs and back,” Keigans says.

The NYPD wasn’t always this lenient when it comes to visible tattoos. Some cops are still hesitant about the lifestyle, while others support the ink.