There is a “logical flaw” in the Queensland Police voluntary ride register, according to the Australian Motorcycle Council.
The online and phone register has so far attracted 15 clubs to register 25 rides with the police to avoid being harassed or intercepted by the police.
However, AMC representative Tony Ellis has pointed out what he called a “logical flaw” in the purpose of the police ride register.
He says the register doesn’t include all the names of the participants anyway and that so-called “outlaws” wouldn’t bother to infiltrate a social ride.
In a meeting between recreational riders and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart on Tuesday Tony asked what would criminal bikies gain from joining a social club run.
The Commissioner said criminal motorcycle gang members may attend rides so they can confer and “do business” without having to use mobile phones.
But Tony also pointed criminals can also “hop in a car and can go to a restaurant”. In fact, police arrested a bikie suspect at a fast food restaurant the previous day.
Hailing from Melbourne Tony, who owns a couple of BMWs, a Suzuki Katana and a postie bike, says he has talked with Victorian police who claim it is “bizarre” to think criminal bikies would try to infiltrate a social club’s ride.
“They say they hop in their Chrysler 300C which is the current choice of the crims,” he told the meeting.
“If they are not hopping on bikes, do you start pulling over Chrysler 300Cs?
“The problem is you are inconveniencing innocent riders, not stopping outlaw bikies.
“Ride registration just causes problems, people don’t like it and it’s offensive.”
Deputy Commissioner Brett Pointing confirmed that in the past two months they have not “to the best of our knowledge” picked up any criminal bikies on a ride.
Although he said that was a “great thing” because criminal bikies “are keeping their heads down”.
So exactly what is the point of registering a ride, asks Tony?
The Commissioner also said that on smaller rides, club members who notice a criminal bikie in their midst should ask them to leave.
However, Motorcycle Riders Association of Queensland president Chris Mearns pointed out that they are doing nothing illegal, even if they are riding with patches, so long as there are not more than two of them.
The Commissioner said club members would not know what is inside the bikies’ bags, suggesting they may have contraband.
Chris admitted club members would never search participants’ bags.
The Commissioner said he found it “difficult to understand what the problem is” with the ride register and the police action in “going after the bad guys”.
He admitted “some of your members will be inconvenienced from time to time”, but Tony said people being strip-searched on the side of the road is “more than an inconvenience”.
AMC chairman Shaun Lennard has called for the ride register to be scrapped. It has also been rejected by 93% of respondents to a poll on this website. Click here to read the story.