: wmur.com
Police Expect Low-Key Event
Up to 2,000 Hells Angels and family members are expected in Laconia for an international gathering -- the World Run -- starting Wednesday.
Laconia police said they're not concerned, and they expect it to be a low-key event. Police said the event was hosted in Laconia in 2003, and there were very few problems.
"You'll see an increased police presence. Obviously I can't go into the specific numbers but we do have assistance from state, federal and local police departments," Laconia police Chief Christopher Adams said.
The department is increasing its patrols to have officers working 12-hour shifts.
The Hells Angels clubhouse is down Fillmore Road -- a dead-end street near the beach. Police posted no-parking signs nearby
"We try to treat them like any other group coming in. Of course, there's a large number of them so that increases chances of something happening," Adams said.
However, many Laconia residents are putting out the welcome mat.
"Actually, I would take my boys -- my 7- and 8-year-old -- to the Union Diner on Sundays for breakfast and a lot of them hang out there. They're more polite and more cordial than a lot of the people that show up," Laconia resident Frank Cacciatore said.
Many businesses are excited at the prospect of thousands of new customers, too.
"They're just people like you and I. They're part of a gang -- part of a group -- but so are other people," said Lindsey Festa, of Donna Jean's Diner.
The Hells Angels World Run is a five-day event.
Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/28671048/detail.html#ixzz1TMceTjfO
Laconia police said they're not concerned, and they expect it to be a low-key event. Police said the event was hosted in Laconia in 2003, and there were very few problems.
"You'll see an increased police presence. Obviously I can't go into the specific numbers but we do have assistance from state, federal and local police departments," Laconia police Chief Christopher Adams said.
The department is increasing its patrols to have officers working 12-hour shifts.
The Hells Angels clubhouse is down Fillmore Road -- a dead-end street near the beach. Police posted no-parking signs nearby
"We try to treat them like any other group coming in. Of course, there's a large number of them so that increases chances of something happening," Adams said.
However, many Laconia residents are putting out the welcome mat.
"Actually, I would take my boys -- my 7- and 8-year-old -- to the Union Diner on Sundays for breakfast and a lot of them hang out there. They're more polite and more cordial than a lot of the people that show up," Laconia resident Frank Cacciatore said.
Many businesses are excited at the prospect of thousands of new customers, too.
"They're just people like you and I. They're part of a gang -- part of a group -- but so are other people," said Lindsey Festa, of Donna Jean's Diner.
The Hells Angels World Run is a five-day event.
Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/28671048/detail.html#ixzz1TMceTjfO