In response to a group of residents’ efforts to revive the
downtown biker rally while pushing for reduced law enforcement
costs, Police Chief Jeff Miller noted how the city has
”
no control
”
over how much other agencies charge for outside help and he
reiterated that it is not the department’s job to decide whether an
event is held.
In response to a group of residents’ efforts to revive the downtown biker rally while pushing for reduced law enforcement costs, Police Chief Jeff Miller noted how the city has “no control” over how much other agencies charge for outside help and he reiterated that it is not the department’s job to decide whether an event is held.
A small group of residents has plans to place an item on a future ballot asking residents if they want the downtown rally to return. They hope to require that the law enforcement costs get reduced – meaning fewer officers – and expect to involve an array of nonprofits and service groups in putting it together.
Hollister’s annual tradition was canceled – for a second time in three years – after the 2008 event lost the city around $200,000. Rally supporters have argued the biggest reason for the non-sanctioning was an inflated cost of law enforcement, which continued to increase and reached $360,000 in the final year of the event.
Regarding the grassroots group’s belief that the city over-staffed security, Miller said he can’t comment on their opinion.
“Their opinion is their opinion,” he said. “If it comes to lowering the cost, we have no control over what other agencies charge. We have to pay it or we don’t have their assistance.”
As for the prospects for another downtown rally in the near future, Miller said with “tighter budget times,” agencies that helped at a discount or no cost might be less willing to do so again.
“We won’t see any of that,” he said.
The impact would be fewer officers policing the event, he pointed out.
“And that impacts the overall safety of the event.”
From a comparison standpoint with other rallies surveyed by the Free Lance, Hollister has spent more money for security on its three-day event – attracting an estimated 93,000 visitors – than other major biker rallies bringing in hundreds of thousands of attendees and over more days. Hollister police officials, however, have noted that factors playing into the higher tab here include an inflated cost of living, the state’s mandate that such events use California officers and a larger street gang presence.
