OFF THE WIRE
Police made few arrests during a Tribesmen Motorcycle Club party at Karikari
Peninsula on the weekend.
More than 100 Tribesmen, associated gaxxx
members and other people had police and neighbours on alert when they travelled
from Auckland on Friday to camp at Lake Ohia near Tokerau Beach, 35km north-east
of Kaitaia.
The party, understood to be a celebration of the Tribesmen
club's 30th anniversary, involved a large marquee, bands, strippers and 24-hour
entertainment.
About 10 offers at a time kept a round-the-clock watch on
proceedings.
"There were no real dramas. Considering how many people were
there, the majority were pretty well behaved," Mangonui police Constable Dave
Reynolds said yesterday.
By midday the Lake Ohia campsite had been packed
up and the party-goers dispersed to Auckland and other places they had come
from, he said.
Some Tokerau Beach residents told the Northern Advocate
they had not been aware of the large presence of patched gaxxx members and their
supporters nearby.
Others said groups of bikers had gone for leisurely
rides "around the place" and were no more bother than the usual visiting
holidaymakers.
On Friday, a convoy of patched gaxxx members and
associates - about 30 on motorbikes and another 30 people in cars - were stopped
at a police checkpoint at Oakleigh, south of Whangarei, as they headed north.
Travelling with them were patched members of the Killerbees and Highway
61.
About 35 police officers were involved. Five arrests were made, three
motorbikes and a late-model car seized and about 19 traffic tickets issued. The
arrests were drug related, for breach of bail and for driving while
disqualified.
Yesterday, Whangarei police Sergeant Ken Andrews said
officers would be watching for any lawbreaking as the convoy moved through
Whangarei.
"We're not specifically doing that because they're the
Tribesmen; we're just ensuring they're abiding by the law, as we would with any
other large group," he said.
Northland operations manager Inspector Marty
Ruth said he made no excuse for the tough line taken at the Oakleigh checkpoint
last week, describing it as "what the public would expect us to do with people
who survive on criminal activities".
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/gaxxx-on-best-behaviour/1608991/
