Hundreds of Hells Angels bikers will rumble around the Lake of the Ozarks next week, during a club rally at Hard Tail Campground in Macks Creek.
Authorities expect 500 to 600 members of the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club will attend the rally, which is set for Monday through Friday, July 31 – Aug. 4. Local law enforcement and campground management are making preparations for the large group, but say they don’t have special concerns about the Hells Angels arrival at the Lake.
In preparation for the event, Camden County Sheriff Department Captain of Operations Chris Twitchel has headed up several meetings with law enforcement, EMS and fire officials, for the purpose of communicating and planning protocol. “Anytime we have that many extra people coming into the area from out of state, we have to plan for it, especially with so many motorcycles increasing the chance of accidents,” Twitchel said. He added that these communication meetings are not special to the Hells Angels visit; they are normal operating procedure for any big event, such as with the Shootout Powerboat Races, Bike Fest or major holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Lake West Ambulance Operations Manager Joanne Blackburn attended the meetings. “We are setting up protocols on where to transport, and how to treat patients from this group,” Blackburn explained. Although the rally is being held at the Hard Tail Campground in Macks Creek, club members could travel through any of six counties to get there. “Most EMS personnel from Camden, Miller, Morgan, Laclede, Bennett and Dallas counties have been alerted and will put forth a ‘strong’ presence on lake area roads during the rally week,” Twitchel promised.
Morgan County Sheriff Norman Dills said he didn’t expect many of the attending bikers to travel through Morgan County, but if they do, his department is aware and ready.
Laurie Police Chief Mark Black says he expects most of the traffic will come into the area via Highways 65 and 54.
The EMS meetings communicated the roles of all mutual aid responders, in case there is a major incident that requires multiple ambulances. “We do not foresee any problems with this group, but there is always a chance of an accident,” Blackburn said. “If there is, we will give patient care, respective of their (the Hells Angels) protocols.” One protocol that is special to the Hells Angels is not cutting through a patch, if a member is injured in the area of a patch. “In that case, we are to take their off their vest and give it to one of their members,” Blackburn added.
And if the situation arises where there are multiple injuries, emergency responders wouldn’t transport injured patients of rival gangs to the same facility. They would also ensure that any one hospital is not overwhelmed by a multiple-injury accident. “We want to be sure people are treated in the safest manner possible. We will divide patients between hospitals and EMS services, ensure adequate traffic control, and investigation, and make sure people can get around any hazard,” Twitchel informed.
“We are trying to make the lake safe for everyone, by protecting the locals and our tourists alike,” he added. “We will make sure that all agencies have extra manpower and adequate staffing. Good communications are vital in this type of operation.” Each of the agencies are planning to post extra manpower to adequately staff all areas and roads. “We don’t want 100 cops all in one location,” Twitchel explained. “We will strategically spread them by zones. The visitors will be traveling, and we will have a very strong presence, just like during any other large event.” Rehab aid stations will also be staffed and ready to be sure personnel stay adequately hydrated. “We are going to pull on all resources and deployable assets, and many agencies are already understaffed.”
The Hells Angels have historically had a reputation for violence, but there have not been as many incidents in the past two decades. “The last time the Hells Angels held a rally in Lake Ozark, in 2005, we had zero problems,” Twitchel said. “We are using our past experiences to deal with this event.”
Chief Black worked in a police gang enforcement unit in St. Louis. “We used to call them outlaw motorcycle clubs or gangs,” he recalled.“They are different now, you don’t hear about them much, I guess they are better at what they do.”
He added, “The Hells Angels are a popular club that has been around for a long time.”
According to hells-angels.com, the Hells Angels were founded on March 17, 1948 in the Fontana/San Bernadino area. During the 1950’s more Hell’s Angels charters were formed, that had nothing to do with each other, but they later united and regular criteria of admission were laid down. The club developed internationally in 1961, and gained a reputation for violence. The Hells Angels now have ally clubs, enemy clubs, support clubs, as well as clubs that they patched over (took over and dissolved the original club). The Hells Angels are active on five continents including; North, Central and South America, Africa and Asia, totaling 56 countries, 85 areas and 444 charters.
“I doubt rival gangs will come down and mess with them because there will be a lot of them here. This is a private event, like a Shriners Convention,” Twitchel said.
According to Hard Tail Campground Owner Phil Krepfl, the rally is a private event. “They rented the entire campground and bar and grill,” Krepfl said “There will be members attending from all over the United States and other countries.” When asked how they will keep the public out he replied, “They have their own way to keep them out. If you’re not on their list, you are not coming in, they value their privacy. This rally is like a family reunion where the members get to see brothers they have not seen in a long time.”
Krepfl downplayed any concerns some might have about the group’s rough reputation. “I talked to the people in Branson where they have been holding their rally for several years, and they have had no problems. They keep to themselves. They will be doing what the average tourist does, riding around our beautiful countryside and patronizing local businesses. There will be a quarter of a million-dollar economic impact to the lake area during their five-day visit,” Krepfl enthused. Krepfl sponsored a Hells Angels support club motorcycle racing team that told club leadership about the Hard Tail Campground and the Lake of the Ozarks area, and that connected him to the Hells Angels. “They liked what they heard and I got a call from the president and sealed the deal.”
Twitchel advises people who will be in the Lake area during the rally to be patient with the upheaval of traffic. “We do not perceive any problems, but if there are, we are prepared.”
