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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Bikers arrive in Snohomish, then police By Debra Smith Herald Writer SNOHOMISH -- A popular motorcycle show may have been canceled, but hundreds of bikers rode into Snohomish anyway Sunday. Organizers of The Old Snoho­mish Antique and Classic Motorcycle Show canceled the show after wrangling with police and city officials over how much they'd have to pay for police services. Some motorcycle enthusiasts vowed to show up anyway. Sunday morning, they did. Bikers, many wearing gang colors, began riding into town in the morning, parking along First Street and gathering on sidewalks. A reporter for The Herald saw hundreds of bikers gathering in Snohomish just before noon on Sunday. About 1,000 came into town, Snohomish Police Chief John Turner said. The show drew 22,000 last year. By early afternoon, Turner said, he was concerned. He said that many members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang and their supporters were standing on sidewalks. "The tension was pretty stiff," he said. "I'll say very candidly I was concerned for small children walking with parents who weren't in tune with the atmosphere." About 2 p.m., Turner asked police agencies for help and officers from Lake Stevens, Monroe and Mill Creek arrived. Washington State Patrol troopers and two reserve deputies with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office also helped. Turner on Monday couldn't say exactly how many officers were involved or how many citations were issued. Five patrol units from his department participated. Snohomish police officers didn't write tickets but many other officers did, Turner said. No arrests were made. "I would venture to say they wrote a hundred tickets," said Chuck Gibbs, owner of Chuck's Seafood Grotto. Gibbs got one himself after an officer spotted him unbuckling his seat belt as he was pulling into his parking space downtown. Gibbs, a supporter of the motorcycle show, loaded up on oysters Sunday, hoping to make money from any bikers who did ride into town. Business was about average, he said. He said he made about $400 selling pins he had made up depicting a man in a hat giving a one-finger salute. The organizers of the bike show didn't have anything to do with the bikers who rode into Snohomish on Sunday, said Rod Hobelman, spokesman for the Sky Valley Chapter of the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education. He said the gathering was quiet and peaceful. "There was no organization of any kind," he said. "It was not broadcast and we didn't sponsor a ride -- not even a ride in." Police watched the bikers closely, he said, and were quick to write citations for parking illegally or not wearing a helmet. "There was quite the police force," Hobelman said. "I was surprised and wondered who's paying for all the police." Snohomish plans to make good with the other police departments by offering in-kind help, Turner said. The bike show dispute began when the city and police asked the show organizers to pay up to $30,000 for security. The year before, they had paid about $5,000. Many of the police agencies who used to donate their services at the show can't any longer because of the poor economy and budget cuts. The city was forced to pass the cost on to show organizers. ABATE suggested fewer officers. Turner said he didn't want to skimp on security for an event that draws members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, many of whom openly sport gang colors. Turner has met with event organizers. He offered to cut the number of officers from 70 to 44 and suggested ways the group could raise more money to pay for security, such as charging admission. A downtown business group offered to donate $5,000 to defray costs but the group rejected it. "We didn't cancel the show," Turner said. "They canceled the show. All we said is we needed to stop paying for security. We made them a lucrative deal and the business owners chimed in to help and they turned it down." READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out (No heading) Yes, Mike, if I was participating in what amounted to a protest intended to intimidate the local police department I would expect to be cited for whatever infraction I committed. But as it is, the Snohomish police are far from the oppressive tyrants that the motorcycle enthusiasts here are attempting to portray them as. The motorcycle enthusiasts, however, are begining to appear as petulant, spoiled brats who throw hissy fits when told that their free ride is no longer able to be continued. John Smith | May 23, 2009 12:58 am | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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