Police preparing for large Hells Angels presence in Lethbridge

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Law enforcement agencies from across Alberta and Canada are joining Lethbridge police to prepare for the arrival of Hells Angels members and supporters in the southern Alberta city this weekend.

Members of the outlaw motorcycle gang are coming to Lethbridge for the grand opening party of a new Hells Angels chapter, and are expected to ride during various events over the weekend, Lethbridge police said Wednesday. Police anticipate a “large number” of Hells Angels and supporters will arrive Friday, and are making the public aware of what will be a significant increase in motorcycle traffic.

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“Their presence is expected to be highly visible and police will assess any potential threat to public safety on a case-by-case basis,” Lethbridge police said in a news release.

Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Taber and Camrose police officers — as well as officers from the RCMP, the ALERT integrated gang enforcement team and other Canadian police agencies — will join Lethbridge police as they co-ordinate a response to the Hells Angels presence in the southern Alberta city. Police say they will be “visible throughout the city to monitor outlaw motorcycle gang members and their activities.”

“It has been well-documented that many outlaw motorcycle gang members, their friends and associates are involved in criminal activity,” said Acting Insp. Pete Christos of the Lethbridge Police Service.

“We will be working with our policing partners to monitor their presence, deter illegal activity and maintain public safety through an overt police presence.”

The Hells Angels first gained a foothold in Alberta in July 1997 with the takeover of the Grim Reapers. At the time, the group had chapters in Lethbridge, Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary.

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This weekend promises to be a busy one on Lethbridge streets.

The city’s annual Street Machine Weekend will mean there are many more vehicles on the roads from Friday to Sunday, Lethbridge police said Thursday, a day after warning residents to be aware of the significant increase in motorcycle traffic from the Hells Angels’ presence in the city.

Over the years, numerous incidents have occurred during Street Machine Weekend events in which there has been illegal and dangerous driving on public and private property, police noted in a Thursday news release. The major thoroughfares of Mayor Magrath Drive and 3rd Avenue S. have also been “hot spots” for stunting, speeding and other traffic violations, Lethbridge police added.

Last year, police doled out 130 violation tickets, mostly for stunting and equipment violations.

But most participants respect other drivers and pedestrians during the Street Machine Weekend, which the organizers, Lethbridge’s Street Wheelers Car Club, started in 1976 and say is the biggest car weekend in southern Alberta.

stipper@postmedia.com

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