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An increased police presence in Virginia City over the weekend caused some to question the necessity of officers armed with long rifles walking amid the thousands of visitors that filled the city's streets.
But Storey County Sheriff's Lt. Ken Quirk said that the presence may have prevented a feud between two outlaw motorcycle gangs from boiling over during the otherwise peaceful Thunder on the Mountain gathering, which coincided with Reno's biker festival, Street Vibrations.
"(The police presence) was in response to intelligence information that there were going to be motorcycle club factions at odds or rivaling one another, " said Quirk.
Since the president of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was killed in San Francisco earlier Sept. 2, allegedly by a member of the rival motorcycle club the Mongols, and the pipe bomb revenge assault on a Mongol's San Jose home Sept. 18, Northern Nevada law enforcement officers were on edge for the Reno Street Vibrations event.
In Carson City, members of the Sheriff's Department's Gang Unit walked through the local bars and other Street Vibration events throughout Friday and Saturday night
In Virginia City, said Quirk, the small Storey County Sheriff's Office patrol unit was bolstered by Washoe County SWAT, Douglas SWAT, Elko County Sheriff's Department, Winnemucca Police Department, The Washoe County School District Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Quirk said an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people were in the historic mining town at any given moment between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Fifteen of the visitors were arrested for alleged crimes such as drunken driving, indecent exposure, battery on a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer and possession of marijuana.
Quirk said the county's 20-cell jail never reached full capacity because most of the people arrested bailed out almost immediately.
"We wanted to ensure the safety of the citizens attending our event; it will never be known what we deterred by having a SWAT team presence," said Quirk. "I would have sure hated to have something erupt and people get hurt and it's deemed later on that the Sheriff's Department was unprepared."
Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.
But Storey County Sheriff's Lt. Ken Quirk said that the presence may have prevented a feud between two outlaw motorcycle gangs from boiling over during the otherwise peaceful Thunder on the Mountain gathering, which coincided with Reno's biker festival, Street Vibrations.
"(The police presence) was in response to intelligence information that there were going to be motorcycle club factions at odds or rivaling one another, " said Quirk.
Since the president of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was killed in San Francisco earlier Sept. 2, allegedly by a member of the rival motorcycle club the Mongols, and the pipe bomb revenge assault on a Mongol's San Jose home Sept. 18, Northern Nevada law enforcement officers were on edge for the Reno Street Vibrations event.
In Carson City, members of the Sheriff's Department's Gang Unit walked through the local bars and other Street Vibration events throughout Friday and Saturday night
In Virginia City, said Quirk, the small Storey County Sheriff's Office patrol unit was bolstered by Washoe County SWAT, Douglas SWAT, Elko County Sheriff's Department, Winnemucca Police Department, The Washoe County School District Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Quirk said an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people were in the historic mining town at any given moment between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Fifteen of the visitors were arrested for alleged crimes such as drunken driving, indecent exposure, battery on a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer and possession of marijuana.
Quirk said the county's 20-cell jail never reached full capacity because most of the people arrested bailed out almost immediately.
"We wanted to ensure the safety of the citizens attending our event; it will never be known what we deterred by having a SWAT team presence," said Quirk. "I would have sure hated to have something erupt and people get hurt and it's deemed later on that the Sheriff's Department was unprepared."
Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.
