Before the conclusion of the Plymouth City Council meeting last Thursday evening, concerns were raised regarding the 3rd Annual Motorcycle Expo held at the Amador County Fairgrounds earlier this month. The concern did not arise from the roughly 3,500 motorcycles that roared into Plymouth, nor did it stem from the violent ongoing tensions between the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols. Concern centered around the large police presence at the event, and the potentially negative impacts that could have on business and the community. Councilman Michael O’Meara introduced the issue, stating that although he understood the reasons that such a large turnout of law enforcement were called in, he felt as though the citizens of Plymouth were “living in a police state.” Mayor Jon Colburn echoed O’Meara’s sentiment, saying that Plymouth felt like a “war zone” during the event. Another issue raised was the perception of a high number of vehicles pulled over for unnecessary reasons. Local business owners claimed that if a large group of motorcyclists were in front of their businesses to eat or purchase items, they tended to disperse as soon as law enforcement was spotted. Councilman Baldwin, whose father was a CHP officer in the 1970’s, spoke from another perspective. He “understood the need” for such a high population of law enforcement as things can slip out of control quite rapidly. At the conclusion of the discussion, O’Meara stated that he would draft a statement summarizing the concerns raised so Council could prepare for similar events in the future.
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Before the conclusion of the Plymouth City Council meeting last Thursday evening, concerns were raised regarding the 3rd Annual Motorcycle Expo held at the Amador County Fairgrounds earlier this month. The concern did not arise from the roughly 3,500 motorcycles that roared into Plymouth, nor did it stem from the violent ongoing tensions between the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols. Concern centered around the large police presence at the event, and the potentially negative impacts that could have on business and the community. Councilman Michael O’Meara introduced the issue, stating that although he understood the reasons that such a large turnout of law enforcement were called in, he felt as though the citizens of Plymouth were “living in a police state.” Mayor Jon Colburn echoed O’Meara’s sentiment, saying that Plymouth felt like a “war zone” during the event. Another issue raised was the perception of a high number of vehicles pulled over for unnecessary reasons. Local business owners claimed that if a large group of motorcyclists were in front of their businesses to eat or purchase items, they tended to disperse as soon as law enforcement was spotted. Councilman Baldwin, whose father was a CHP officer in the 1970’s, spoke from another perspective. He “understood the need” for such a high population of law enforcement as things can slip out of control quite rapidly. At the conclusion of the discussion, O’Meara stated that he would draft a statement summarizing the concerns raised so Council could prepare for similar events in the future.
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