Many of us have seen them before — outlaw motorcycle gangs, cruising our highways and community roads on their Harley Davidsons in large groups, proudly displaying their patches on their leather jackets and vests.
Expect to see more of them here this summer, police say, as their numbers are growing in this province.
“These groups are associated with violence and criminal activity,” said Staff Sgt. Steve Conohan of the RCMP criminal intelligence unit, the division that deals with organized activity. “That’s why it’s important for us to be front and centre. Where they are we are.”
Speaking with reporters at RCMP headquarters in St. John’s Thursday, Conohan explained that unlike law-abiding motorcycle groups that get together to ride socially, outlaw motorcycle groups play by their own rules. He said they do what they want and use violence and intimidation to get what they want.
“That’s a big concern for us, certainly,” he said. “We’re there to defend the right of everyone to just be able to their motorcycle and enjoy the beautiful scenery that our province has to offer and they shouldn’t have to ask permission from anybody to just go on their bike and ride freely.”
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Criminal activity associated with these gangs include drug trafficking, fraud, counterfeiting, money laundering, human trafficking, contraband smuggling, prostitution, extortion, violence and illegal gaming.
Outlaw motorcycle gangs use a “1%” patch to identify the wearer as a person who doesn’t follow the law or society’s rules, RNC Const. Shawna Wright explained in a media briefing to provide background before Conohan spoke. The term “one percenter” originated following a riot at a motorcycle rally in California in 1947. At the time, the American Motorcycle Association defended the reputation of the majority of their membership, stating that 99 per cent of motorcycle riders are law-abiding citizens and other one per cent are, “nothing more than outlaws.”
Outlaw motorcycle gangs often have a logo and “colours,” a uniform that identifies members. Most often, “colours” include a leather vest with the club logo on the back along with other patches and pins on the front.
There are two outlaw motorcycle gangs in this province, Conohan said — Bacchus Motorcycle Club and Outlaws Motorcycle Club, both of which are based in Central Newfoundland. Both gangs also support one-per cent clubs such as the world’s most notorious biker bang, Hells Angels.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province that doesn’t have an officially sanctioned support group for the Hell’s Angels, Conohan said.
“We’re the only province in this country that has that distinction right now,” he said.
The last group that was officially sanctioned by the Hell’s Angels was The Vikings, he said. However, it was dismantled as a result of Operation Bombard, a two-year, two-prong RNC/RCMP joint investigation that probed criminal organization, as well as a homicide in North River, Conception Bay North, in June 2014,
When it concluded in the fall of 2016, it resulted in several arrests, including two suspected Vikings club members for first-degree murder.
Daniel Leonard and Al Potter have been charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Dale Porter. A number of other men, including Leonard’s father and brother, were arrested and charged with drug-related offences as part of that operation, including trafficking charges involving fentanyl, cocaine and hash.
“With the conclusion of that file, we did see the Vikings around for a short time, but then they were dismantled. They did try to make a bit of a comeback, but at this current time, they are defunct …” Conohan said.
“Anytime we tackle serious and organized crime, we make some headway or cause them to be defunct, that’s a plus.”
However, Conohan said they’ve been two additional chapters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club that have opened in Bishop’s Falls and in Bayside, near Centreville. As well, an additional prospective chapter of Bacchus has opened in Conception Bay South.
The expansions increase the potential for conflict between Bacchus and Outlaws for supremacy in this province, he said.
Conohan said while there’s a large contingent of outlaw motorcycle gangs in Central Newfoundland, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to stay in that area throughout the entire summer.
“The whole purpose of the riding season is to ride, so they won’t stay in their locale. They will travel throughout the province. And where they are we are,” said Conohan, who added the crime suppression team, which has been a partnership between the RCMP and the RNC, will have an overt presence when outlaw biker gangs are around.
“We’re there front and centre.”
Conohan said when large groups of these outlaw motorcycle gang members get together, members of his team meet with their leadership to remind them the importance of obeying the rules and regulations of the road, just like other citizens.
“We tell them what our expectations are ... If they don’t obey the rules, we lay charges …,” Conohan said. “And it’s about respect. We respect these folks and I think if you’re given respect, you’re given respect back.”
However, he said outlaw motorcycle gangs often try to present themselves as good community citizens
“(They use) their PR efforts to put forward their best foot and try to convince people (of that),” said Conohan, who pointed out there are also motorcycle clubs in the province that support the outlaw gangs, including Relic Riders in Carbonear, by holding fundraisers and social events.
“Is that to say all, each and every member of these (outlaw) groups, is a bad guy? No. Some are very cordial, they’re respectful when you talk to them, but they do their own thing and make their own rules.”
Police urge the public to refrain from engaging with these outlaw gangs and to, instead, report sightings and any suspected illegal activity to police, “so we can take enforcement action,” Conohan said, “and remind these gang members that they too are subject to the same rules and regulations as all citizens.”
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