Angels’ Visit Cost City Thousands

Taxpayers spent $82,200 for police to plan and carry out a massive police effort on the streets of downtown Ventura during a four-day gathering of 500 Hells Angels in March, police officials said Wednesday.

The figure includes all planning, communications, “No Motorcycle Parking” signs, training, salaries and other expenses for about 100 police officers, Lt. Carl Handy said.

Of the $82,200, $74,000 went to cover salaries and overtime costs for the Ventura officers.

The total figure, however, does not include the salary and overtime costs for the dozens of police officers from other area police agencies who helped patrol the city streets during the Angels’ 50th anniversary celebration.

The other agencies joined the enforcement effort on a mutual aid basis--agreements where one agency helps another at major festivals, gang sweeps, probation orders and other police actions without billing each other.

Despite criticism by some downtown merchants and others that the massive police presence was unnecessary, overzealous and overkill, Handy and other city officials maintain that it was money well spent.

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Despite the gang’s menacing reputation, there was no violence and only minor arrests.

“What kind of a price do you put on public safety?” Handy said. “I’m absolutely convinced it was quiet because of the presence we had.”

The notorious motorcycle gang descended on the city for the event beginning March 15.

Between that Sunday and the following Wednesday, when most of the Angels rode out, city officers earned a total of $49,600 in overtime pay, Handy said.

During the Angels’ stay, police made several concealed weapons arrests and issued a number of motor vehicle citations. One prospective Angel was questioned about an alleged sexual assault.

Among the concealed weapons police had their eyes out for were ball-peen hammers, an item that according to police was depicted as a weapon on the emblem of another out-of-town motorcycle club.

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“It’s not being carried for repairing a motorcycle,” Handy said. “You don’t fix a Harley with a ball-peen hammer.”

Ventura Mayor Jim Friedman said he was not about to second-guess the police presence or spending on the event.

As Angels from across the globe gathered in San Bernardino the Friday before the Ventura celebration began, a man who clipped an Angel’s Harley as he passed by the club’s headquarters in his pickup truck was beaten as his 9-year-old son watched in horror, Friedman said.

That, he said, highlighted the need for the dozens of “No Motorcycle Parking” signs erected in downtown Ventura days before the Angels arrived, the notion being to keep the cars and motorcycles apart.

Whatever spending the police administrators saw fit was justified, he said.

“We were dealt a situation we had no control over, and we did the very best we could to gain control over that situation,” Friedman said.

“I’m a part-time policymaker, not an expert in law enforcement. For me to second-guess what at times are split-second decisions by our police force to me would be very arrogant.”