CANADA - Police impound vehicles belonging to motorcycle gang members

OFF THE WIRE
 Sylvie Paillard
Daily News Staff Reporter kamloopsnews.ca
A couple of blatant scofflaws were given short shrift by police Sunday afternoon after a less than routine stop over a traffic violation.

A motorcyclist flying the colours of a well-known outlaw biker gang drew police attention – not by bragging about his criminal affiliation with a vest bearing a “striker” emblem, but by speeding down Victoria Street at 95 kilometres per hour on Victoria Street.
After doling out a $368 fine, three demerit points and towing the bike, police turned their attention to the biker’s friend who had come to pick up the stranded man.
And again, it wasn’t the second man’s vest and striker emblem that turned police’s head, but the invalid insurance on his truck.
So another fine was handed out – this one for $598 – along with a ticket for driving without insurance.
Police will not name the biker gang in question since they don’t want to give the criminals notoriety, according to Staff Sgt. Grant Learned.
However, he said presence of two gang members in town does not indicate that organized crime has gained a toehold in Kamloops.
“The Hell’s Angels and Rock Machine are constantly trying to get established in every community,” said Learned. “But there is no chapter or clubhouse in Kamloops.”
He said what’s more likely is a few individuals from an independent motorcycle group on the North Shore forged alliances with one of the rival outlaw gangs.
“It’s not a strong presence here, but individuals here are trying to work up in the criminal organizations.”
And although both men in Sunday’s incident were stopped for blatant violation of traffic laws, anyone clearly displaying affiliations with criminal gangs will attract unwanted police attention no matter what they’re up to, said Learned.
“If anyone is flying those colours in this or any other community, they can expect to be checked out for who they are and what they’re doing in the community.”
A third, law-abiding driver subsequently attended and gave the two men a ride.