The boss of the region’s aerial patrol has defended one of its benefactors, the Fourth Reich Motorcycle Club, amid a damaging police intervention at the weekend.
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On Saturday Strike Force Raptor police clipped the wings of the club’s annual open day, which raises funds for the aerial not-for-profit.
Harry Mitchell, Bendigo Bank Aerial Patrol general manager, said the heavy police presence at the event was unwarranted.
“I’ve been to a handful [of the open days] and I’ve never seen trouble,” he said.
“The guys are a nice bunch of guys. They’re family guys. They’re middle age guys now, walking around with their grandkids, hand-in-hand, showing them their motorbikes and stuff.”
Scores of attendees were slapped with fines and vehicle defect notices in an apparent bid by police to water down the event.
“I’m sure had an approach been made to event organisers, they would have just welcomed the police in,” said Mr Mitchell, who says he is not a member of the club.
“Maybe their brief was to be … a little bit stronger than that. But I don’t think these guys have got anything to hide.”
