The inaugural Blue Heron Road Rally was a terrible disappointment to organizers as well as to participants. Lake County law enforcement agencies partnered in an enforcement act, which attendees of the event deemed as excessive and harassment.
Only 89 motorcycles registered for the Saturday event, which was staged out of Austin Park in Clearlake as a fundraiser for local youth services. “My worst nightmare wasn”t that we would go this far into the hole,” said Joyce Overton, president of the Lake County Youth Center, which operates under the auspices of Lake County Community Action Agency. “Eighty-nine motorcycles participated; we should have had around 500. We may have to close the youth center because of this.”
Overton reported identifying and addressing enforcement problems from the very beginning of the run. “I asked (Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain) to call (the officers) off because the riders called me five minutes after they left,” she said. “They were stopped before they even got to Clearlake Oaks.”
No less than a dozen riders, many of which identified themselves as members of the North Bay Motorcycle Association, said that they felt harassed by the presence of excessive law enforcement stationed at various locations throughout Lake County and that the officers created a concern for the safety of those participating in the fund-raising event. “I thought they were going to help with safety; they did not,” said Deana Adams, a 31-year resident of Clearlake, registered voter and business owner.
Vic McManus, ex-marine, former correctional officer and career firefighter who led the pack, said that he saw Clearlake Police officers wave the pack by near the police station only to find more Clearlake Police officers as well as officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) waiting for them at Olympic Drive and Highway 53. “Clearlake Police Department (CPD) didn”t do anything for us; the CHP pulled the entire pack over. We were literally two minutes out,” McManus said. “From then on they followed us to every stop and they were waiting for us at every planned stop.”
McManus continued stating that enforcement tactics went as far as officers breaking into the middle of the pack. “There was one ticket as far as I know through the whole thing. (The officers) disrupted the ride by breaking up the pack of motorcycles and to me that compromised our safety,” he said.
Tim Mead of Santa Rosa also voiced a concern for safety. “(The officers) jeopardized the safety of our less-experienced riders when they pulled us over on a downhill grade with no safe shoulder to pull over on.” Mead continued, “This could have been avoided if they would have simply walked out at Highway 53 and 20 where they were standing next to their vehicles and instructed us as an entire group and told us that we all have to stop at the stop sign. It”s a wonder that one of those less-experienced riders didn”t go down in that gravel today.
“This was a very poor public display for an event we dropped 50 bucks for; and we were treated this way to come up here and support this community,” Mead concluded.
Celeste Reimann, a mother and business woman of Forestville who was pulled over at Highways 53 and 20, but not cited, voiced her agreement. “There was chaos on the freeway,” Reimann explained. “Somebody could have gotten hurt. We are lucky we didn”t have an incident. If they don”t do something about this, we won”t be back.”
Many of the riders shared similar opinions. “We all paid 50 bucks to be treated like that. We weren”t breaking any laws,” said Doug Slayton, of Santa Rosa.
“I didn”t have as much fun as I thought I was going to have because I was harassed by the Clearlake police. I came here to donate to the youth programs,” said Mike Ford, head representative for the North Bay Motorcycle Association, Lake County division.
One rider reported spotting nine CHP units. “One slammed on his breaks, pulled over into a restaurant and followed us,” said Al Smith, of Clearlake.
According to riders, various law enforcement units were stationed throughout the county, many of which were outside their own jurisdictions. Lakeport police were reportedly on duty in Clearlake Oaks and in Clearlake; Clearlake Police were seen in Kelseyville; Lake County Sheriff, Lake County DA investigators and probation officers and CHP officers were also present throughout the county.
McClain reported that such enforcement tactics are typical and that their concern was for public safety. “We were told by Joyce (Overton) she expected 200 motorcycles and because of that we were out there,” McClain said. “The event drew the attention of law enforcement because of the potential for outlaw motorcycle activity. We were monitoring activity of people wearing colors associated with outlaw motorcycle clubs.”
McClain continued saying that law enforcement”s intention was to avoid any incident such as that which occurred in Laughlin when rival motorcycle gangs initiated a gun fight. “Our concerns were for public safety and that this (remained) a ?family” event,” he said. “I don”t think because there”s a law enforcement presence that people are being harassed. Our only purpose and presence out there was to keep people safe.”
McClain said that because the event passed through all Lake County jurisdictions, agencies combined their tactics in a partnership to monitor the entire event. “This (enforcement tactic) was set up and organized the way it is anytime one of these (rallies) goes around the county. The officers were out there and they wanted to make sure everything stayed safe,” he said.
According to McManus, who claims he has ridden in several Lake County rides as well as many outside of the county, the excessive police presence that was observed on Saturday was not typical. “I have been on a few rallies in Lake County and there has been no police presence. Zero,” he said. “This is the first time I”ve encountered any police presence.” McManus added that a fellow rider informed him that there is police presence at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa”s annual “Takin” it to the Streets” road rally, but they help with the event in ways such as stopping traffic for the pack to pass.
From McClain”s and the CPD”s standpoint, the event went fairly well. “We didn”t have any problems with any of the attendees. There were no traffic stops, no tickets and no one went to jail,” he said.
Overton”s opinion differs, however, as she reported several riders who were here to contribute to the community turned around and went home, which resulted in a severe financial loss for the event. “This was way out of hand,” she said. “It was embarrassing and it hurt a non-profit that does so much for our county. This was an expense for every place we were going to stop at. Instead of helping us they put us in danger. They are supposed to serve and protect and instead they themselves caused concerns for safety.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com. To comment on this story, look it up on the Observer?American”s Web site, www.record-bee.com/observer.
