HOLLISTER
Security costs for the Hollister Motorcycle Rally have increased by 58 percent since 2004, according to records requested by the Free Lance.
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller’s department released the numbers Friday and he responded by attributing the escalating figures over the event’s 11-year run to increased spending on state policing agencies and economic factors such as higher personnel costs.
The records, however, are incomplete from 1999 through 2003 due to a software changeover, noted Miller regarding the five years before he had arrived as chief. In 2003, for instance, Free Lance archives document a total security cost of $230,000. The available police records, meanwhile, show a $35,800 cost – a number police officials acknowledge is deflated due to the records issue.
And although these figures are incomplete for some years, the 2005 numbers point to a time “that changed the rally forever,” Miller said. The security costs from 2004 were $224,831 and increased to $340,954 in 2005. The reason for this, the chief said, was heightened gang enforcement at the time related to potential fighting between Mongols and Hells Angels.
“Had it not have been for the state agencies – between the Hells Angels and the Mongols, we would have had great violence,” Miller said.
Another major factor in the cost hike to taxpayers has been a shift in responsibility for the expenses.
For the 2007 and 2008 rallies, Horse Power Promotions fronted all or most of security costs. In 2007, the private promoter gave $382,000 to cover costs and received $61,000 back due to over-budgeting. In 2008, Horse Power paid $200,000 of the estimated $355,066 total, while the city is set to pick up the rest. Horse Power owner Seth Doulton, meanwhile, said the goal is to “make the rally pay for law enforcement.”
The report released in response to a Free Lance public records request outlines “personnel” and “equipment/supplies” costs. The supply costs are for items such as hotel accommodations, meals and snacks, security cameras, camera lines, snacks for officers and radios, while much of the hike in those numbers has been increased hotel costs, Miller said.
Another reason for the increased costs has been state budget problems, he said. In 2003, the state policing agencies *– the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol – indicated that they needed to be reimbursed. Miller also pointed out that the state isn’t getting full reimbursement for its services and how many officers and security personnel are staying in Hollister beyond their scheduled hours.
Two former council members phoned by the Free Lance for this story, Tony Bruscia and Tony LoBue, both acknowledged that the state budget issues have been a major factor in the security costs.
During his four-year tenure, LoBue said officials received “in-kind contributions” from the state including parole officers and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms personnel, for which, he said, “We didn’t actually have to pay for it – they came in on their own accord.”
In 2004, the Hollister Independence Rally Committee, the former nonprofit group that organized the rally during its first nine years, also had given a deposit that helped pay for officers, LoBue noted. The city now must shoulder all of these costs without the support of the state, he pointed out.
Bruscia noted how the state had been providing “a lot of free assistance.” Bruscia also said the city “really needs this rally” and he believes it’s not being supported by local leaders.
“I don’t think (local leaders) were doing anything inappropriate,” he said. “But I truly wish that they would embrace the rally as part of our community and making the best of it.”
Chief Miller, though, said his focus when planning for event security is on maximizing resources.
“We try and spend as little as we can on this type of thing,” Miller said. “We don’t want to spend more money than we need to.”
With those resources, Miller contended that the 2008 rally was one of the most peaceful events within the core rally area.
The Free Lance also requested the number of people employed for security at each biker rally, but the city noted how releasing that information could “disrupt future rallies and endanger the safety of the community and the law enforcement officers,” according to a written response from City Attorney Stephanie Atigh on the matter.
By not releasing the personnel numbers, Miller said, “The gang members don’t know where we’re deployed.” He added that if gangs know how many officers there would be, they could plan their activities accordingly.
One of the more common complaints about rally security in recent years has been not only the apparent number, but also that they travel in packs.
Miller said one or two officers can be overwhelmed easily in an altercation or an emergency.
“Six to eight officers are special groups, usually including department of justice officers, gang personnel, parole officers who are geared for outlashes,” said Miller.
Doulton, the promoter, said the chief is doing a “good job” with enforcement but warned: “As soon as the chief slacks off, there could be a problem.”
Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia, meanwhile, said safety is the No. 1 focus for the rally.
“We have to make sure the folks in the community are safe,” she said, adding that the two most important priorities at the rally are police and fire coverage.
Valdivia wondered out loud: “How can you put a price on safety?” Bruscia echoed that sentiment and said security personnel are invaluable.
“How many cops do you need? There’s no right or wrong answer to that.”
