Arrests Up Overall At Motorcyle Rally

FAYETTEVILLE -- The 15th annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival wrapped up with more arrests at the rally and about the same number of motorcycle accidents in the region as usual.

At least 30 motorcycle wrecks, including one fatality, happened Wednesday through Sunday in Benton and Washington counties.

By The Numbers

Arrests, Citations

Arrests and citations issued in Fayetteville at the Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally for the past four years.

2011 2012 2013 2014

Overall Arrests: 27 26 18 31

Local Arrests: 13 19 10 23

Citations: 5 4 8 16

Source: Fayetteville Police Department

In the festival area, 31 people were arrested and 16 citations were handed out in or near the main venue on Dickson Street. Most of the charges were misdemeanors and most were for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, said Sgt. Craig Stout, spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department.

"Whenever population increases, crime increases," Stout said. "It's a natural thing. When alcohol is involved, crimes will increase. Given the circumstances, I actually think those numbers are low."

Rally organizers estimate hundreds of thousands attend the four-day rally with official venues in Fayetteville and Springdale.

Of the 31 arrests, 23 were local residents, Stout said. In 2013, there were 18 arrests and 10 were locals, Stout said.

The citations included five for engine revving, one for drinking alcohol in public and the rest were for traffic violations.

Fayetteville police received about 10 alcohol-related complaints, 10 noise complaints and reports of seven disturbances.

The eight motorcycle accidents in Fayetteville happened on College Avenue, Center Street, School Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Razorback Road, Assistant Chief Steve Harrison of Central EMS said.

One of the 16 accidents in Washington County required the victim to be taken by helicopter to Washington Regional Medical Center. It happened near Devil's Den State Park, Harrison said.

"We see more accidents than we care to," Stout said. "We wish there was a way to decrease the number of accidents."

About five accidents, three on Saturday, happened in Springdale, according to the Springdale Fire Department.

At least six accidents, including the fatality, were reported in Rogers. Two required the injured to be airlifted to hospitals, according to dispatch calls. Police didn't return calls regarding total number of motorcycle accidents in the past five days in the city. Bentonville and Benton County officials did not respond to requests for total number of accidents in their jurisdictions.

"The accidents that happened in our jurisdiction were scrapes, bruises and the most severe was a concussion," Stout said. The University of Arkansas police worked an accident where a Chevrolet Corvette hit a Fayetteville officer on a motorcycle. He was having surgery for a broken knee Monday afternoon, Stout said.

"It (BBBBQ) is a great opportunity to showcase Fayetteville and surrounding areas," Stout said.

"The Fayetteville Police Department will continue to work with our citizens, merchants and the Bikes, Blues & BBQ Board to provide a safe atmosphere for everyone in years to come," according to a news release from the department.

NW News on 09/30/2014

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