CHARITY
BIKING FOR A CAUSE
Blue Knights, a cross-continent group of spirited motorcycle borne police officers, ride to collect funds to support charities. Internationally, they donated $176,895.50 in 2023
more than 600 branches, or chapters as they are referred to in the States, in 31 different countries. The club’s headquarters are in Bangor, Maine and the American origins of the club continue to be borne out by the blue waistcoat members can wear. The international club is organised into eleven conferences worldwide, including one in the UK and Ireland. Next year the annual convention will be held in Maine USA, marking the 50th anniversary of the club and bringing everyone together. By 1990 the club had grown to more than 8,000 members in the States and the Blue Knights fraternal spirit found its way across the ocean to the UK and Europe. Since that time, the United Kingdom and 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
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. In 1974 a small group of
motorcycle cops in Bangor (USA) formed a local police bike club. One of their aims was to show that, unlike the criminal motorcycle clubs, which were giving motorcyclists a bad name, the vast
44 | POLICE | APRIL | 2024
majority of motorcyclists are law abiding ‘good guys’ and they called themselves
“Among Blue Knight members there are no strangers, only friends you have not met.”
‘The Blue Knights’.
Little did they know that by 2010 the Blue Knights LE MC would have over 21,000 members across the world and
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.
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 chapter rallies in the summer and social gatherings, these are
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