PW_2_2024

Article

The Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club (LEMC) Roger Hopes , Vice Chair, Blue Knights UK & Ireland If you enjoy motorcycling, exploring new places, socialising with like-minded people, raising money for worthy causes, and you have or had a statutory power of arrest, the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club might be the club for you. IPA Section UK has a Motorcycle SIG, and many of its members hold membership in both associations, finding that they each offer something slightly different.

I n 1974, a small group of motorcycle cops in Bangor (USA) formed a police bike club. One of their aims was to show that unlike the criminal motorcycle clubs, which were giving motorcyclists a bad name, 99% of motorcyclists are law abiding ‘Good Guys’ and they called themselves ‘The Blue Knights’. Little did they know that by 2010 the Blue Knights LE MC, would have over 21,000 members across the world, in over 600 Chapters, across 31 different countries. The club’s HQ is in Bangor, Maine, and the police nature of the club continues to be shown, in the blue waistcoat that members can wear. Once a year an International Convention is held, the 2024 Convention will be held in Maine, USA, as it’s the 50th Anniversary of the club. By 1990, the Club had grown to over 8,000 members in the States, and the Blue Knights found its way to the UK and Europe. Since that time, the UK & Ireland Conference has grown from strength to strength, and there are now 30 Chapters across England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands; with nearly 900 members. There are also Chapters in 22 different European countries. Some members organise their annual touring holidays to take in as many rallies as possible; Austria this week, the Black Forest next week, and squeeze in Belgium on the way home. Being a member of The Blue Knights is not about what bike you ride, so long as you own one, it is about who you are, or what you were, because the membership is primarily made up from serving and retired Law Enforcement personnel, including Police Officers, Prison Officers, Customs Officers and any other Services personnel with statutory powers of arrest, it doesn’t matter if you are retired or still serving, you always have a common bond.

Because of the local and regional structure, meeting up with friends and fellow members is easy. Most Chapters have monthly breakfast meetings and ride-outs. Some hold rallies in the summer, these are advertised on the website, on social media or the club magazine and any member of the club can attend and join in. Chapters are as active as their members wish them to be, organising all the usual biker’s distractions, bike runs, BBQs and biking weekends. If you want to get involved or take advantage of someone else’s organisation and local knowledge, there is always an event going on somewhere. The rally weekends are great social events with partying, fundraising and ride-outs led by local members, taking you to places the guidebooks cannot reach. Because most members of Blue Knights are serving or retired law enforcement personnel, there is a strong ethos of supporting worthy causes. Internationally, over $19.5 million has been raised to support a multitude of charities across the World. In the UK, one of the main Charities is ‘Care of Police Survivors’ (COPS) and we support the annual ‘Survivors’ weekend’ at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire. In 2023 the fantastic amount of £27,600 was donated by the UK&I to charities. We have also supported our Blue Knight family in Ukraine, with generators, medical supplies and equipment. The Club prides itself on being a fraternal organisation that promotes the feeling of family. Spouses and partners often accompany members on the various rides, at functions, rallies and events. Among Blue Knight members there are no strangers, only friends you have not met. Interested? Why not take a better look or get in touch, you can find us at: www.blueknightsukic.org or www.blueknights.org

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POLICE WORLD Vol 69 No.2, 2024