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More: Hells Angels rolling our way |
| Name: |
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TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian |
| Date Posted: |
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Jul 29, 08 - 3:05 AM |
| Web Page |
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http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/07/28/news/local/znews02.txt |
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“The Hells Angels' last visit was the end of one chief's tenure; this visit marks the beginning of mine,” said Muir, who took charge of the department on June 1.
Muir said he took the committee's recommendations to heart. In particular, police are making an effort to communicate their patrol strategies to the public prior to the high-profile event - a cause made evident by a pair of recent public meetings, which are part of a “visible planning process” that Muir hopes will quell any lingering misgivings about the police department's response eight years ago.
“We are fairly certain that the Hells Angels plan to spend a significant amount of time out at Marshall Mountain,” Muir said. “They have planned activities and entertainment. But I expect that, like last time, they will come into our community and spend some time as well.”
To that end, Muir and McMeekin have developed a “mutual aid agreement.” That means the Missoula Police Department can tap additional resources from or divert them to the Sheriff's Office, and vice versa. Both agencies will work out of a shared command post on West Broadway, at the former Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation building. Sheriff's deputies will also be stationed at the Clinton Fire Department in order to quickly respond to any mishaps at the Rock Creek Lodge.
Muir's and McMeekin's general concern about the Testicle Festival is heightened by a history of biker gatherings there, and they worry that other rival motorcycle clubs, such as the Bandidos and the Mongols, will clash with the Angels.
“We can't ignore the fact that this group and others like them frequently come into conflict with other rival groups,” Muir said. “It's that kind of situation that makes us a little nervous.”
“We can identify the ingredients, but we can never identify the flash point until after the fact,” McMeekin said. “But remember, their PR campaign notwithstanding, these are all felons, with the determination to preserve their big, bad, outlaw mystique.”
While sheriff's deputies once patrolled the grounds at Rock Creek Lodge during the Testicle Festival, they have since turned that role over to private security workers hired by the Lodge's owners. With a year-round staff of six employees, the Rock Creek Lodge tacks an additional 100 staffers onto the payroll for the festival, including 45 security workers and dozens of bartenders to operate the six outdoor bars.
If the long weekend is a nonevent, as Muir and McMeekin hope, the dozens of additional officers will spend the lag time getting caught up on required training exercises.
“I think it's great to utilize what would otherwise be hurry-up-and-wait time for training,” Muir said, adding that some of the training will focus on crowd management.
Missoula City Councilman Dave Strohmaier congratulated Muir and said he appreciated the police department being so forthcoming.
“It sounds like a good game plan and responsive to lessons learned the last time around,” Strohmaier said.
As for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Muir got a cordial phone call from one member following the July 1 public meeting. The member who called Muir is serving as a liaison between the club and Missoula law enforcement agencies, and said he read about the meeting in the Missoulian online.
“They like to gauge the pulse of the community prior to their arrival,” Muir said. “It's our understanding that they felt very welcome here last time.” |
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