Biker run called “criminal intent”

You would think that police would never refer to a run as “criminal intent” but it seems that in Illinois doing a motorcycle run could be considered a illegal activity.

Using the excuse of motorcycle awareness month, police set up roadside checkpoints on different roads to discourage the Sons of Silence from doing their motorcycle run. While it only caused them to re-route their ride, the police seemed to have made their point.

I never heard of promoting motorcycle awareness by setting up roadside checks, especially if they were pulling over motorcyclists. Maybe they were asking bikers if they were able to see the others in their riding group?

Local law enforcement agencies teamed up Saturday in a county-wide effort to discourage what Litchfield Police Chief BJ Wilkinson called “criminal intent from coming to Litchfield and the surrounding villages and towns.”

The Sons of Silence motorcycle club had promoted its intention to sponsor a run with stops in Montgomery and Macoupin counties, Chief Wilkinson said.

What is interesting to note, is that the police never quite describe what the “criminal intent” was. Also at the same time several bars in one town were told that their liquor licenses were suspended for the day.

While I certainly agree that arresting people that are doing bad things is a good thing, it is a whole different point when police try to stop bikers from riding and even close bars down to dis-courage bikers from coming to their town.

Source Article “Local Police Thwart Bad Bikers”

Source: www.thejournal-news.net