Posted on Wed, Jun. 04, 2008
The Sun News
By Lorena Anderson - landerson@thesunnews.com

Assaults for both down from 2007

During this year's Atlantic Beach Bikefest during Memorial Day weekend, Myrtle Beach saw more police officers injured, jailed more people, issued more traffic citations and had more sexual assaults; but the city had fewer traffic collisions, noise complaints, armed robberies and calls for service than last year.

It had the same number of homicides as last year, statistics released Tuesday by the Myrtle Beach Police Department show: one.

During this year's Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally May 9 through May 18, there were more traffic fatalities in Myrtle Beach, more use-of-force incidents, more officers injured, more drug-sales and possessions arrests, and more DUI arrests than last year; but fewer speeding tickets, fewer calls for police service and fewer stolen vehicles this year.

Both events had fewer aggravated assault arrests than last year.

City spokesman Mark Kruea said the two events are different in terms of duration, four days of Bikefest and 10 days for the Harley rally, location - Harley events all over the county and Bikefest concentrated in Myrtle Beach and Atlantic Beach - and the crowds the events draw. Bikefest attracts a lot of 16- to 20-year-olds who come by car to make the weekend a street party. The Harley riders tend to cruise the area.

Police department spokesman Capt. David Knipes said he had not yet had time to analyze this year's data and draw conclusions from it. Kruea said people will draw whatever conclusions they will. "The numbers are what they are."

Between the two rallies, there were four traffic fatalities this year. The city has seen more - in 2003, there were nine traffic fatalities during the May rallies.

City Councilman Wayne Gray said a number that stands out to him after his initial look at the statistics is overtime for police officers. Last year during the Harley rally, the city used 5,133 hours of overtime, while this year it used 5,229. Last year's Bikefest used 6,584 hours; and this year's used 4,628.

"For either event, I would argue that it is a lot of overtime," Gray said.

Kruea said the statistics do not show the strain the events place on city staff, especially officers who work 12-hour days and emergency personnel who have to handle the deaths and crashes. "These are not festive events for them," he said.

Overhaul of spring rallies pondered | 5A

Harley Week rally 2008/2007

Use of force: 10/4

Officers injured: 4/2

Traffic fatalities: 3/1

Traffic collisions reported: 105/132

Citizen complaints: 4/4

Outside agency assistance to law enforcement: 136/97

Overtime hours expended: 5,229/5,133

Loud noise complaints: 32/42

Calls for police service: 3,839/4,015

Total citations issued: 1,879/1,625

People jailed by MB police: 464/425

Speeding citations issued: 243/298

Noise violation citations: 33/48

DUI: 40/14

Armed robberies: 2/3

Strong-arm robberies: 2/2

Homicides: 0/0

Aggravated assaults/assaults with intent to kill: 0/10

Drug possession and sales: 15/3

Weapons offenses: 1/3

Sexual assaults: 1/3

Residential/hotel room burglaries: 5/16

Stolen motorcycles: 12/10

Stolen vehicles of other types: 1/10

Bikefest 2008/2007

Use of force: 4/1

Officers injured: 8/1

Traffic fatalities: 1/3

Traffic collisions reported: 144/155

Citizen complaints: 9/9

Outside agency assistance to law enforcement: 256/186

Overtime hours expended: 4,628/6,584

Loud noise complaints: 80/101

Calls for police service: 3,990/4,472

Total citations issued: 2,035/1,931

People jailed by MB police: 479/442

Speeding citations issued: 110/139

Noise violation citations: 150/170

DUI: 6/4

Armed robberies: 15/18

Strong-arm robberies: 6/1

Homicides: 1/1

Aggravated assaults/assaults with intent to kill: 3/4

Drug possession and sales: 12/12

Weapons offenses: 10/4

Sexual assaults: 4/3

Residential/hotel room burglaries: 12/12

Stolen motorcycles: 17/10

Stolen vehicles of other types: 34/23
Contact LORENA ANDERSON at 444-1722.