OFF THE WIRE
CEDAR CITY — The upcoming Labor Day weekend will see an increased
presence of law enforcement not only to deal with the normal increase of
vehicles, but also with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club rally taking place
near Todd’s Junction on state Route 14.
Sgt. Jimmy Roden, public
information officer for the Cedar City Police Department, said there
will be an increased number of vehicles on the roadways and drivers are
encouraged to ensure all occupants of the vehicle are wearing seatbelts.
Drivers should limit distractions, should not drive while fatigued and,
as always, plan to have a designated driver when alcohol is being
consumed.
While the Bandidos rally will take place in Kane
County, Bandidos members are expected to visit and lodge in Cedar City.
Roden said more than 1,000 members of the Bandidos may visit Southern
Utah over the weekend.
Roden said the Bandidos club is recognized
by the FBI as an “Outlaw Motorcycle Gxxg” and individual members of the
Bandido Motorcycle Club have a “history reflecting criminal conduct.”
But while criminal history may hold true for some members, Roden said it should not be a stereotype placed on all club members.
Roden
added local residents who may feel intimidated by the presence of
motorcycle club members should know public safety and order will be
maintained and criminal conduct will not be tolerated.
“Cedar
City Police Department has taken necessary steps to ensure public safety
during the Labor Day weekend,” Roden said in a press release. “Our
residents will see a significant increase in the number of police
officers patrolling our City this Labor Day weekend, to include police
officers from other jurisdictions providing us with additional manpower
and resources.
Other agencies are teaming together to beef up security in preparation for the holiday weekend and biker rally.
“We’ve
called in some assistance from the state troopers and surrounding law
enforcement agencies,” Kane County Chief Deputy Tracy Glover told The
Spectrum and Daily News earlier this month. “We’re ready for this and we
will have plenty of law enforcement out.”
Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher also confirmed his department will be assisting Kane County during this time.
“I’ve been putting my guys through some additional training to prepare for this event.” Pulsipher said.
Iron
County Sheriff Mark Gower told The Spectrum and Daily News his office
will be fully staffed over the weekend. Gower said while people should
be aware of their surroundings, there is no reason to panic or to change
holiday plans.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20130827/NEWS01/308270014/
