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ANTI-BIKIE police effectively provided a "pub crawl
escort" for an outlaw motorcycle club event with no
provisions for breath-testing, it has been revealed.
The claims were made by police officers who provided assistance
to Avatar detectives on Saturday's Gypsy Joker "Poker
Run" throughout the northern suburbs. Avatar is the police
section which investigates outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The officers claim police and Transport SA used motorcycle police
from both southern and northern operations to provide rolling
blockages and green lights throughout the run from hotels in
Gawler, Lyndoch, One Tree Hill and through to another premises at
Para Hills.
Opposition Police Minister Robert Brokenshire described the move
as "hypocrisy".
"We've got the Government claiming to have the toughest laws
ever when it comes to outlaw motorcycle gangs, but then we have
no consistency," Mr Brokenshire said.
"These people are given privileges that other members of the
community don't get," he said.
A police officer who contacted The Advertiser said police had to
change shifts and were redeployed specifically for the Avatar
operation and all police involved were paid at time-and-a-half
rates.
"It's hypocritical, there were no provisions for
alcho-testing and police were taken from their normal duties of
attempting to keep down the road carnage to provide an escort for
a pub crawl," he said. "We spent most of the time
sitting outside the hotels drinking coffee waiting for these
people to come out. I know a lot of us weren't happy about
it."
It is understood about 90 people participated in the event,
monitored by about 13 motorcycle police and up to four Avatar
detectives, who were in charge of the operation.
No one was breath-tested despite the convoy travelling from hotel
to hotel. Some police officers have said that despite noticing
numerous minor traffic offences they were told to continue
escorting the riders.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Gary Burns said motorcycle gang events
were monitored to ensure the public's safety. "Traffic
conditions are assessed during the planning of events such as
these, and public safety is the priority," he said.
"This same approach is applied to events such as the Bay to
Birdwood run."
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