Cops at Burning Man, 2012. Image: Simon Pearce | Flickr (Creative Commons)
New Sheriff Jerry Allen was reportedly going to crack down on crime at Burning Man this year. When the story hit the media, he quickly back-pedalled, saying “I have no intention of being heavy-handed” and “there is no crackdown, I was misquoted“ .
Well, it sure looks like a crackdown to me, with the highest number of arrests ever reported at Burning Man – and a still unknown number of citations. The supposedly underfunded Pershing County Sheriff’s Office managed to arrest 41 people, about 6 times as many as last year – and about as many as the previous 5 years combined. They also issued more than 600 citations, another record.
From the New York Times:
Scores of law enforcement officers meted out more than 600 citations and arrested dozens of people — nearly all of them for possession of controlled substances, like the hallucinogenic drugs that can make frolicking in scanty costumes in the desert seem like a kaleidoscopic adventure.
In other words, the party may have ended, but for the local courts, lawyers and busted participants, the headache begins…More than 40 of the revelers, known as Burners, were arrested, according to the sheriff’s office of Pershing County, the rural pocket of northwest Nevada where the festival takes place. The citation fines range from $100 to $500, said Rudy Evenson, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that shares policing responsibilities for the event with the sheriff’s office. Misdeeds ranged from environmental ones, like improper dumping, to drug use and possession.
[Source: NYT]
Crimes this year included 25 counts of drug trafficking, and 1 each of kidnapping and failing to register as a sex offender. Significantly, there were no sexual assaults reported – a huge improvement on 2013, when there were 12 people taken to jail for that crime.
For the first time we get some 2014 numbers too. The 2015 and 2014 data here has mostly come from the Reno Gazette Journal, quoting emails from the Sheriff. If anyone else has any more information, please share.
2015 Arrest Statistics
from Pershing County Sheriff’s Office
Population Size (estimated):
70,000 paid participants
9,000 workers
Total Population: 79,000
Total Cops: 192 – (150 BLM; 34 PCSO; 8 Washoe)
Total Arrests: 41
- Trafficking of a controlled substance: 19
- Possession of a controlled substance for sales: 6
- Trespassing: 3
- Warrant for failure to appear: 3
- Possession of a prescription medication without a script: 2
- Battery: 2
- Unregistered sex offender: 1
- Driving under the influence with accident: 1
- Assault with a deadly weapon: 1
- Battery on a public officer: 1
- Kidnap: 1
- Grand larceny: 1
Total Incidents: Unknown
Total Citations: 600+
2015 Traffic citations
(from Highway Patrol, Northern Nevada; partial information, as at 2/9/15):
Number of Stops: 245
Traffic Citations: 119
Warnings: 111
Crashes: 12
Fatal Crashes: 0
Speed Citations: 62
Seat Belt Violations: 2
DUI Arrests: 7
Drug Arrests: 0
Commercial Vehicle Inspections: 21
2014 Arrest Statistics
(from all law enforcement, including BLM)
Population Size (Peak, 8/29/14):
65,922 paid participants
9,312 workers
Total Population: 75,234
Total Cops: 185 (150 BLM; 27 PCSO; 8 Washoe)
Total Arrests: 7
- 1 sexual assault
- 4 drugs
- 1 domestic violence
- 2 trespassing
[note: this adds to 8. Earlier the RGJ reported 8 arrests for 2014, now they are saying 7; perhaps charges were dropped, or perhaps 1 person was booked for multiple crimes. This case might also provide an explanation]
Total Citations: 392
Total Incidents: 1,902
- 334 public assists
- 860 traffic stops
- 520 verbal warnings
- 230 written warnings
- 392 citations.
- 104 were issued on the road entrance,
- 205 were issued for possession of a controlled substance (
- 117 marijuana,
- 30 ecstasy,
- 18 cocaine,
- 40 other
- 52 multiple drug types
- 50 motor vehicle violations.
[Source: RGJ]
While we’re at it, might as well thrown in some medical statistics. We’re hoping to get those for 2015, so we can see how CrowdRX fared compared to their predecessor Humboldt General.
2014 Medical Statistics
Total Patients treated: 2880 (according to BLM Director); 6100 (according to Afterburn report)
Drug overdoses: 71
Trauma incidents: 67
Alcohol Poisoning: 30
Death: 1
[Source: John Ruhs, BLM State Director, Nevada]
Here is the arrest data from previous years, as best as I have been able to assemble. They certainly don’t make it easy for Burners to find this stuff.
[Sources various 2001-2012, NYT / RGJ 2014, BLM official numbers 2010-2013, KRNV4 news 2013]
There have been some procedural changes, with the Sheriffs and BLM being integrated for a few years, and this year de-integrated again. So this may not be a straight “apples to apples” comparison, we could be missing some Pershing and Washoe County arrests as most of these figures have come from the BLM. According to local news reports, in 2013 15 people were taken to jail in Pershing County. Maybe some of these were later released without charge, or maybe this is in addition to the 6 arrests reported by the BLM. The anecdotal evidence we have is that arrests were way down under former Sheriff Machado; it is quite clear that his replacement has gone in the other direction.
The full story on 2015 arrests by Burning Man beat reporter Jenny Kane at the Reno Gazette-Journal has some other interesting information:
Whether participants felt that they were being watched more closely this year was up for debate. Some felt the law enforcement presence more than others.
“It’s noticeably more strict this year. They’re literally sitting out, and if you have any minor infractions, they’re nailing you,” Jim Pehkonen, of Salt Lake City, said during Burning Man. “When they pull people over, often if they do consent to a search, they take everything out and they put it on the side and if they find anything, they arrest you.”
During entry to Burning Man, anyone who did not consent to a search if stopped by law enforcement was denied entry to the event.
“In past years, they’ve used more discretion. This year, they’re wreaking havoc,” said Pehkonen…
BLM agents, who also serve as law enforcement at the event, made no arrests at the event this year.
That is very probably because Pershing County Sheriff’s Office process the arrests, and take the perps to their jail.
BMOrg pay for the prosecutions, so it looks like Sheriff Allen will be sending them a bigger invoice this year:
Pershing County receives funding from Burning Man to prosecute cases that result from criminal activity by participants at Burning Man, although Allen said in previous statements that the county needs more funding from the San Francisco-based nonprofit for the county to take on the “heartache” that comes with Burning Man.
[Source: RGJ]
[Update 9/12/15 2:45am PST]
Any Burners who did get busted might want to contact Lawyers For Burners.
Results from 2014
Every single participant who contacted Lawyers for Burners after receiving a drug citation at the 2013 Event was offered the chance to plea bargain the citation to a non-drug offense. The BLM offered to dismiss the drug possession citation if the participant agreed to plead guilty to a motor vehicle infraction. The BLM routinely reduced the $500 fine as well. Attorneys affiliated with Lawyers for Burners worked directly with the United States Attorney’s Office (the part of government that prosecutes citations written by the BLM) to accomplish these results. Lawyers for Burners acknowledges and appreciates the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Reno, Nevada for its management of the Burning Man citation calendars every year.
[Source: Lawyers For Burners]
The New York Times quotes John Routsis from Lawyers for Burners, and tells a horror story about a Mom who got busted with DMT, shrooms and a kid in the car, and may now be facing a life sentence:
“You have these individuals go there to go to this experience, and they will sometimes partake in illegal narcotics, hallucinogens, as part of their rite of passage,” Mr. Routsis said. “Now there is a great consequence to that action, where there wasn’t beforehand.”
Lately, the arrests have been handled locally rather than by the federal government, which is not good news for the Burners: In Nevada, there are lengthy mandatory jail sentences for even small amounts of drugs. Even so, evidence from past years suggests that judges seldom throw the book at the celebrators.
One of Mr. Routsis’ clients is … 35, the owner of a cupcake shop… She was arrested at the start of the festival after a sniffing dog set off an alert on her car at a traffic stop in Washoe County, just to the west of the event site. [She] faces several charges, including drug possession and Level 3 drug trafficking, a felony that carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. One charge is related to her having her 7-year-old in the car with the drugs, which the sheriff’s office described as “significant quantities” of psilocybin — found in magic mushrooms — and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, another psychedelic.
[She] expressed dismay at the charges. “My family, friends and I go to Burning Man to awaken our consciousness and to become better human beings,” she said in an emailed statement.
Some infractions may be the result of culture clashes. In a 2012 case described on the Internet forum Reddit, a Burner said he had been arrested on child-endangerment charges by deputies who took issue with his permitting his 12-year-old son to be naked.
“I spend the night in Lovelock,” the parent said, referring to a Pershing Country prison, “and paid $885 to a bail bondsman on a $5,600 bond.”
[Source: NYT]
Pingback: 2017 Arrest Statistics | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: BREAKING: Burning Man In Latest WikiLeaks Data Dump [Update] | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: 2016 Crime Scorecard: New Record for Arrests, Attempted Murder | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: False Amber Alert Imprisons Thousands: 17 year old Missed Curfew, Gate Closed for 3 Hours | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: 2016 The Scandals: Further Details | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: 2016: How To Deal With Cops At Burning Man | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Pingback: Arrests At Burning Man 2015 Up 600% From Previous Year | Your EDM
Pingback: Consent: Touching, Hugging & Progress On The Playa | Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Who’s the source and has it been vetted by official anyone? Sounds like BS. “During entry to Burning Man, anyone who did not consent to a search if stopped by law enforcement was denied entry to the event.”
I’m a photographer, journalist, and civil rights/liberties activist. As such, I was photographing every law enforcement encounter I witnessed and have some photos from the way in and way out (two in Gerlach entering on Sunday, one leaving Monday on Gate Road), I do not recall seeing any incidents while at the Burn but I could have some photos hidden away I am forgetting.
I have the vehicle/badge numbers for the incident on Gate Road; cars C195 and K122 (a K-9 unit). I have the plate number for the car being searched from Nevada on the way in and some other shots of the officers; but no identifiers (the Burners in these shots were in cuffs). The third incident just shows some officers with some guys by an RV in Gerlach while we were going in (it wasn’t clear what was going on).
Does anyone know who I should try to get these to? I thought the ACLU or Lawyers for Burners but I am not really sure. I figured I could at least post here if anyone knows someone who may need those photos. I am doing my best to not violate anyone’s privacy while still making the incidents clear enough to those involved to hopefully get these photos to Burners who may want them for their court cases. Not even sure if the photos will help but I wanted to do whatever I could.
Please email them to us burners@zos.org
Pingback: Drug Dogs Sniffing the U.S. Mail at Burning Man, and Armed BLM Agents Becoming Impromptu Mailmen | Michigan Standard
Pingback: Drug Dogs Sniffing the U.S. Mail at Burning Man, and Armed BLM Agents Becoming Impromptu Mailmen - Hit & Run : Reason.com
Pingback: Burning Man Arrests Skyrocket 600% From Last Year - Magnetic Magazine
Kudos, burnersxxx, for an awesome post, with research and numerous links, and, in due of awesome posts during the burn. My belief is numerous burners owe gratitude, to you, in due of the warnings posted in regards of the most unprofessional actions of the police. The Prepare for the Playa Police, penned in a most awesome manner by Burner Mark, and 24 Tips From Burners on Gate Safety, of which, these posts were near to the most viewed prior of the burn, perchance, might more burners have viewed these posts, lower than 600 citations might have occurred.
Thanks mate – and thanks to you for encouraging me to re-post that for this year.
Why do all the Europeans smoke so many cigarettes?
Cigarettes are a lot cheaper in most parts of of Europe than in the US and the PC mafia hasn’t struck here yet (except in the UK). You can actually enjoy a cigarette without some mother coughing in the background because she thinks your giving her broken condom cancer.
It’s also amusing at BM now people try to shame you for ashing on the playa. Perhaps they’re unaware that the art that’s burned out there carries ash for many miles, but that’s the stuff they pay to see turned into ash. Ash from art is okay.
Fascinating to hear your self-congratulation about destroying your lungs. Knock yourself out. I don’t care whether you smoke or don’t, but I do see it as a sign of a real burner when a smoker is carrying around an altoids box or something to ash in. The playa isn’t in fact your personal ash tray. Sorry if you don’t see it that way yet.
Care to help us sort out the tobacco ashes from the Man ashes? Or is the playa in fact your personal ash tray when it comes to art?
I like the art of a well-made cigar. I hope you are one of those who have been offended in the past, and complain, as I smoke an nice hour-long Arturo-Fuente double chateau maduro to watch the burn.
It’s amusing that people actually still smoke cigarettes.
“Black Americans were nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested on charges of marijuana possession in 2010, even though the two groups used the drug at similar rates, according to new federal data.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/us/marijuana-arrests-four-times-as-likely-for-blacks.html
Oh poor, entitled, Burners. Where is the outrage for the unfair treatment by LEO that has been going on in this country for years? It sucks that your party was ruined, but driving around with “significant quantities” of psilocybin is very illegal and one must pay the consequences if caught breaking the law; though I am sure the white privilege will guarantee less of a consequence than most Black Americans will suffer.
Black dudes don’t like to camp. Period. Burning Man is a white man’s sport.
At the least, many white Burners, perchance, might be more of the knowledge of what numerous black Americans suffer in regards of the unfair treatment by LEO that has been going on in this country for years.
Would you like some cheese with that whine? (no seriously I have some great swiss here).
I know burners who are also connected to Black Lives Matter, but I’m sure that would ruin your preconceived whiny notions, so please continue ineffective insults while we change the world.
Only someone living in a delusional bubble like yourself would classify the truth as whining; or should I quote Al Gore, “an inconvenient truth”. It’s too bad you couldn’t actually add something of value to the conversation
I am glad that you feel good about having a few “black friends” that are the source of your notions. My notions comes from actual study data and having grown up as a minority in a mostly African-American city where I have witnessed injustice first hand against my peers; but why the let facts get in the way of a good party. But you keep on fooling yourself that your fur-clad Burner antics are changing the world while the 1% that actually do change the world just see it as a week long place to party; as do the law enforcement community apparently. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
While my fiancee and I were biking along the esplanade this year by center campin broad daylight towards the end of the week, there was a gathering of about 30 mostly male and some female officers (they looked like sheriffs with brown uniforms and black tactical gear) and their dogs. One of the dogs took a huge crap on the playa, and when the officer who the dog was leashed to noticed it, he just shrugged his shoulders and laughed and then another officer noticed it too and laughed and then the huge gaggle of them disbanded their meeting and they just left it there, laughing and walking. What a waste of tax payer money, ruining the lives of moms who go to Burning Man with their kids and who have substances in their car that the state deems to be illegal (why?!?)
That’s the sort of thing that should be captured on video. You either have to accept these abuses, or do something to correct it.
I wonder if the de-moop crowd found much feces in BRC public areas – not likely to be human. It should be easy to test if it was human or canine, and since only LEOs had dogs, pretty much makes them culpable. Perchance the Borg should back-charge LE for the dog cleanup, particularly since the de-moop crew volunteered to clean up after burners, not dogs. This might encourage LE to give more attention to violent crimes and leave the dogs at (their) home.
Might you have viewed photos of the moop within Reno? They stated moop, of this manner, after the burns, began near to 4 years prior. When the BMOrg desires near to 30,000 newbies each burn, replacing the prior Burner community upon the playa, moop, of this manner, occurs.
This aberration to the free spirit context of BM has been lost in part due to the insane growth of the event and more importantly, to the fact that it happens on PUBLIC land. Unfortunately, the ‘sometimes’ overzealous efforts by the LEO forces who protect the PUBLIC land from the PUBLIC, are becoming more common throughout the USA. As someone said above, participation [in this highly commercialized event on PUBLIC land] does not mean sacrificing our Constitutional rights. LEOs are specifically trained to “ask” you to do things until they provoke/invoke some sort of questionable act at which point they start ordering the “presumed innocent until found guilty by a jury of peers” perp to comply with the LEO orders.
I wholeheartedly support the LEO’s efforts to prevent crimes upon other individuals. However smoking a joint or taking some X is ‘unfortunately’ a “crime” upon yourself and merely warrants being declared stupid or some other such notoriety. About the same as someone who eats themselves into morbid obesity. The age old commentary is germane: why is it OK to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol but not OK to smoke a joint or take a different kind of mind altering substance. The typical response of: because pot and hallucinogens are illegal does not wash. They tried to make alcohol illegal and that didn’t work. Likewise, would they make ‘eating to excess’ illegal just to prevent morbid obesity?
About the only way to reduce the onerous presence of all of the various LEOs is to move the event to private land – and even then, with a sufficiently large buffer of land and trees to minimize the guaranteed surveillance by LEOs from afar.
One huge reason they might not want to move this to private property is the precedent of private land being stolen by the federal government for allowing drug use on said private land. Do a search for “Missouri private land seized for festival drug use” or “camp Zoe seized” or schwagstock….
I bet the BMorg is happy to allow things to remain as they are, with certain people, groups and camps “protected” and no risk of anyone’s land being seized.
I would also bet that Larry and the other BMorg who are peeling off Millions of Dollars from BM are protecting that money by sending it off shore, juts in case the feds ever decide this is a RICO situation and they want to seize all of the money earned from “what ever they want to call it illegal activity”.
If you dont think it can happen, read closer the story of Camp Zoe and schwagstock, the feds can take anything they want.. getting it back it the trick.
Interestingly enough, doing it on Native American land would be far harder to seize, though comments in this blog suggest that the lack of LE on such land makes it actually more dangerous – the other end of the spectrum.
In a practical sense, perhaps a lawsuit for reckless endangerment against the BRC LE entities might work, if it can be proven that people were physically injured by criminal acts while the LE was focused on the easy, non-violent crimes. I can see an LE approach based on the Transformus model as much better: have LEOs stationed at the outer perimeter of BRC, to only be called in if the BRC Rangers need assistance. The LEOs could also patrol the perimeter and other more desolate areas where criminals might want to do bad things.
The San Diego Decom You-topia event has been held on Indian Reservation land for a number of years, and has had to deal with violence, theft and the brandishing of handguns by some of the locals that roam the property. LEO is not to be found anywhere on the land; not an ideal situation either.
In actuality, police mates of Sheriff Jerry Allen, have gained much attention in due of ‘they want to seize all of the money earned from “what ever they want to call it illegal activity”.’ I am of the belief of some of them, and their dogs, were on the playa.
Prior Deputy Lee Dove, of Winnemucca, gained much attention, in due of taking $50,000 from Tan Nguyen in due of a profile stop, and his dog was utilized to permit a search, in despite of no drugs were found. Prior Sheriff Ed Kilgore, of Humbolt County of Nevada, ministered the program to take cash within this manner. My belief is Lee Dove was not on the playa in due of his arrest upon assault with a deadly weapon. Ed Kilgore is, at present, a deputy with Lyon County, might he have been on the playa?
Sheriff Deputy, Sgt. Chris Aker, whom might have been on the playa, with his dog Boots, of which, the name Boots is most familiar, in addendum, defended their practice of profiling and stopping suspected drug traffickers on U.S. Interstate 80 and confiscating tens of thousands of dollars even if no criminal charges are filed.
Who watches the watchmen, purposed to halt their rubbish actions?
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, it is a simple fact of humans. Greed is another thing some humans can not control.
LE in this country is basically un-watched, mostly self regulated and out of control. The blue wall of silence is a huge problem, it drives away the cops who might be good people and allows the psychopaths whose brains are not wired correctly to prosper within a corrupt system. It is very very sad for a country which claims to be home of the free.
The only real control is the elected officials, and the electorate who might put their jobs at risk. That’s why the NV burn being a fixture with no effective representation spells disaster. And that’s why the only redress is in the (local!!!) courts, and the Borg considers the burners as fungible chattel to be used and abused to achieve their own ends in litigation.
Do search for “Jimmy Tebeau lost his land”
…Tebeau’s land was seized by the federal government and sold for $640,000 to Missouri State Parks, which is turning the former hippie haven into a park for fishing, floating and hiking….
Not to hijack the thread, but did ya see where the yellow Camaro was finally explained?
I love those Camaro people, they are among the most famous and talked about art at BM this year… lmao at so many smug self-appointed burning rectum fuck heads who were so angry at them… it is really really funny.
There is not much funnier than a really pissed off, peace loving, dirt covered, hippy giving someone shit and then being wronger than rain about it.
https://www.facebook.com/lindsay.benner.1/posts/10207320340384101:0
LOVE THIS. I’d say it’s a great of example of pranking the pranksters, but there’s so little pranksterism spirit left at BM, unfortunately, in favor of douche-bros and peace and love crap.
The unreported/underreported sexual assaults are one reason I don’t plan to return. I’m a woman. I can go camping elsewhere and be armed. I know no one would help me out there if that happened to me.
I was most surprised in regards of pepper spray was upon the list of banned weapons, within the BLM closure order.
Unless the pepper spray is a BLM policy, anyone who added that prohibition for BRC might be held culpable. In fact, a class action lawsuit might come together with the combination of not reporting the sexual offenses, 600% increased enforcement focused on non-violent crimes, and prohibition of personal defensive devices. If the real stats prove out this apparent issue, some LE management could have a lot to answer for.
Okay, Thelma.
I am in agreement. She must be Thelma, she is not Louise, in due of Louise is in bed in due of a playa dust cough, in due of her labours for the construction of Cirque Gitane and of the Temple of Confessions, in addendum of Louise being of the need to repair her tent within the dust storms, and in due of her honouring of Timothy Leary near to the nun whom is most of the need of a confession.
Yeah, laugh at me all you want. Big joke. No big deal, Huh? Tell that to those women who have been raped at the event. I know a woman who was unarmed, attacked in national forest, and killed. Damn right I got a gun. Too bad women on the Playa can’t arm themselves for protection. Cuz no one helped them. But no big deal, right? Lots of laughs, huh?
My belief is the proper response to this most horrible crime is not 70,000 people, perchance altered, with guns. We solely disagree in regards of this.
The arrest for sexual assault in 2014 was because my friends and campmates stumbled upon the assault in progress on open playa. Yes, they helped her, got the Rangers and LEOs involved. It’s not true no one will help you there.
When I was going, help should not have been a problem. Than again, when I was going, you did not have to lock your bike. Not unrelated.
It’s a shame you feel this way. I feel completely safe in BRC, topless and alone at 4 AM; I have absolutely no doubt that if I called for help I would receive it.
No sexual assults? I have a friend that worked as a ranger this year and told us of two rapes in one night (Thursday I believe) one in which the guy was arrested and another that was not but gate had his picture. Both happened in deep playa and the girls were forced to walk back to find a ranger or medical. One of the women ended up beaten to the point of hospitalization in Reno.
Agh, it pisses me off so bad that Borg (and related LEOs apparently) doesn’t provide more accurately report or acknowledge the real problem of rape at burning man. It would scare people (namely women) away, so they hush it up.
I’m so pissed that didn’t even make sense. But you all get the idea.
Horrible and horrible they did not include it. Hope someone keeps on this misleading reporting issue.
Terrible. So what happened between “the guy was arrested” and the Sheriffs figures? Maybe washoe cops or BLM got him? Or maybe no rape kit, no prosecution?
Perchance, might this most horrible crime be reported as the kidnap? It might be not as difficult to place a person in jail, for numerous years, for a kidnap of this manner.
That’s a good point.
Might this be so, it is most appalling of that this was not charged as a rape, in addendum of the charge of kidnap. Might it be possible, for any newspaper reporter, to obtain the reports of sexual assault, or, of attempted sexual assault, from the BLM, or from Pershing County? I am not of the belief of it requires a FOI request to do so.
Getting into the press is best.
In regards of figures,
I was most curious in regards of the manner the BMOrg might obtain ambulances, in due of REMSA, and of Humbolt General Hospital, are most pissed towards them. It was reported of nine ambulances were from California, in addendum of one ambulance from the Fernley Fire Department. The 2014 burn was of 8 ambulances from HGH, whom desired more ambulances upon the playa for 2015. I was most surprised, within 2014, of 9,315 people were on the playa upon free tickets, most in due of their labours, for Burning Man, or for contractors. Perchance, we might gain the knowledge of the number of tickets within each manner of labour, from the BLM. My belief is the 150 number in regards of the BLM police is high, my belief the number is near to 100, the other 50 are in due of other BLM upon the playa, in the manner of visitors
to the Blue Pit compoundand BLM employees purposed tostare at titsmonitor environmental compliance.In addendum, I was most disappointed in regards of the rubbish CoolAid article, by Daniel Terdiman, within Fast Company, upon The Burning Man Temple Project, LLC, discussing of the difficulties of raising $225,000 of donations purposed to construct the Temple, in addendum of the BRC LLC, dba Burning Man, grant of solely $75,000. The Temple was lowered from 100 feet, to 70 feet, in due of the difficulties of gaining donations. In addendum of discussing of insurance in a most CoolAid manner, stating of Burning Man did not require the insurance. The article missed the big elephant in the room, of what is the rationale of Burning Man not paying the $300,000 for the Temple, solely $4 of each ticket, from their $30.5 million of ticket sales, while hiding their 2014 990 form, their 2014 Consolidated Financial Statement, and their 2014 event ledger, from donors of cash, stock, art, and labour. Kudos to the awesome Burners whom constructed the Temple of Promise.
The figure I have for volunteers and workers present this year is 15,500. The guy who gave me that also disputes the 150 BLM, based on RGJ Jenny Kane comment that 53 BLM worked shifts. My belief is that is “at a time” not “total”. There were definitely other BLM workers as well as cops.
Note population of Pershing County is 7500, of which 1500 are in “gated community” of Lovelock Correctional Facility.
My belief is of solely 53 BLM Rangers, in actuality, worked shifts, there are solely near to 300 BLM Rangers within the U.S., in addendum of near to 200 BLM Agents, and the numerous fires upon BLM property are of a bigger priority than busting hippies for marijuana within Black Rock City. Of the manner stated within the Inkoo Khan FOI request, labouring within the BLM Unified Command, in addendum of the DEA and FBI, ‘detectives from the Washoe County All Threats All Crimes (ATAC) Unit, detectives from the Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigation Division, Agents from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Rangers from the U.S. Forrest Service, hereinafter referred to as detectives, were working in an undercover capacity.’ This perchance, might be near to 100 of totality, or, perchance, the 150 numeral of when the BLM
Blue Pit compoundvisitors, and BLM employees, in addendum, are counted. Of the 15,500, this was not the number of free tickets to Burning Man, I do not know of the details in regards this number.We know it was just under 9500 last year, from Jerry Allens numbers. May have been EA passes? I definitely don’t think they gave out that many free tickets.
I get the issues with the extreme cases; the mom facing 25 years, the dad with the naked child, etc. But half of these arrests generally require the arrested individual to do something that prompts LE to act.
Possession of a controlled substance for sales: 6
Trespassing: 3
Warrant for failure to appear: 3
Battery: 2
Unregistered sex offender: 1
Driving under the influence with accident: 1
Assault with a deadly weapon: 1
Battery on a public officer: 1
Kidnap: 1
Grand larceny: 1
When someone steals a car, crashes into other cars and rolls over, I want cops with guns to show up. That guy could have killed a bunch of people.
“When someone steals a car, crashes into other cars and rolls over, I want cops with guns to show up.” > WOW! When I was going to the NV burn nothing like that happened in BRC. The only dangerous driving was the LEOs speeding across the open playa. Things have changed.
BTW, does anyone keep stats on the convictions for the on-event arrests? A lot of the LEO-associated offenses could be instigated by the”officer.” Might be more interesting for this year than before.
Burner 61, might you provide details in regards of your statement of ‘When someone steals a car, crashes into other cars and rolls over, I want cops with guns to show up. That guy could have killed a bunch of people.’, where might this have occurred? Did this occur in due of Black Rock City, or might this be solely a rubbish statement?
Saw this on facebook. A guy stole a car , took off and crashed into someone’s camp.. Believe no one was injured and they got him
https://burnersxxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/screenshot-2015-09-13-05-37-12.png
Source: Burning Man Facebook Group
Stunning.
Do you know when/where this happened?
Happened out at the airport. To compound the egregious nature of it – it was a big pickup that he rampaged with.
Sounds like CCamp/1% fallout, one way or another. Hope we get more details.
BTW, did anyone use the airport to spot the CCamps?
Had nothing to do with 1% or CCamps. Had everything to do with one fucked up asshole per the Facebook thread.
Actually, I hope the guy is wealthy so the girl whose vehicle was stolen can sue. She didn’t have comprehensive coverage and can’t afford another vehicle.
How does the airport not relate to the 1% and CCamps? Unless undisclosed facts explicitly cite that location as a pure and utter coincidence, the apparent correlation is there.
Rubbish, half of these arrests do not require the arrested individual to do something that prompts LE to act.
Possession of a controlled substance for sales: 6. Within Nevada, at present, might a person possess bigger than 30 grams of marijuana, it might be charged of possession of a controlled substance for sales, might the police desire to do so.
Trafficking of a controlled substance: 19. Within 2013, Mono County arrested 17 people for felonies, in the main part for trafficking of a controlled substance between U.S. states, including of one couple whom was arrested, and was in jail for three days, upon $30,000 of bond, in due of solely two marijuana cigarettes within their RV, and including of other most similar reports. The Sheriff of Mono County did not win his next election in due of numerous tourists did not desire to holiday in Mono County in due of his most abusive actions. One report, from the burn, is of one driver of a vehicle was charged with trafficking of a controlled substance, in due of his passenger placed solely several grams of marijuana within his glove compartment.
Burning Man agreed to pay cash towards Pershing County, for the costs of Pershing County for felonies listed within their contract, in addendum of the near to $320,000 of cash paid towards Pershing County. What might be the number of arrests that might be most deserved, and, perchance, what might be the number of arrests that are in due of Pershing County desires the cash?
Good point. To simplify, only the following ten were overt illegal acts:
Trespassing: 3
Battery: 2
Driving under the influence with accident: 1
Assault with a deadly weapon: 1
Battery on a public officer: 1
Kidnap: 1
Grand larceny: 1
“Possession of a controlled substance for sales: 6” is presumably not actually selling, with the “for sales” construed by statue rather than a willful act.
When one balances out all of the pros and cons and money spent and energy exerted and beautiful people met and scenery scene and safety and likelihood of paying more money (to LE and attorneys) afterwards etc etc etc… there are a lot of cool things to and places to go visit for a week in this world… besides breathing in alkaline dust at burning bust.
Back in the day, before this thing is the desert became a HUGE for profit venture… ah… never mind…
But to an individual, after a decade is there twice the “cool things to and places to go visit for a week” for twice the price and twice the people? When there were half the people, and tickets were half the price, I found more than enough things to occupy my attention for a week with no repeats. Clearly the only difference is the profit you cite, and everyone wanting to get their piece of the action – and what goes with that…
On occasion I would comment here that I would come back to the NV burn when I could figure out how to make money on it, since that is the new mode. But as a thought experiment, that does not work for me. The gifting of our theme camp, and others who do the same, is an essential part of the reason I go and participate. And the loss of that is something that will have to recover before I will return. Not holding my breath.
All the more reason to fly in and stay in your favorite CCamp – Security (and the Borg) keeps out the random LEOs. Being busted is for chumps and the peasant entertainment. After all, when was the last time you were worried when a carney got arrested?
BTW, I hear the Bike Fence Camp did fine, with no bike theft arrests. Good going guys. You know where to send the money.
A few years ago my camp was placed amongst many of the infrastructure camps. We had a campmate who would not stop smoking hash and weed from his pipe, totally out in the open. He said the cops wouldn’t take notice because of our location, and he was right. That zone, it appears, is a safe zone to do whatever you want. The cops don’t patrol it (it appears) even though they drive through it all the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us4j45Efc1Q
One of the reasons LE limit the IQ of their applicants is that they are make likely to follow orders, and an unwritten order is to not mess with the big guys – go for the guys beneath you. One of the several reasons prisons are filled with people on the left side of the Bell Curve.
Sending a mom away for 25 years to life for bringing psychedelics along with her son is pretty effing awful. That ain’t justice.
Seriously, if they are concerned about her being a good mom, require her to get counseling or something similar.
I think most people would agree. I wonder if they’d feel the same if it was a father bringing psychedelics with his daughter.
good point.
“anyone who did not consent to a search if stopped by law enforcement was denied entry to the event” — What? By buying a ticket do we agree to give up our right to refuse a search? Since when was being searched a condition to get in?
This is most confusing. Perchance, the police stated this to burners, purposed towards gaining consent for searches, in despite of it is not true.
Yeah I’m quite interested in finding out more about this, as in was anyone actively denied access or were they just *told* they would be denied access, as last I heard there was some sort of constitutional right to not consent to a search.
Of course the fun part is the LEOs can legally lie to you whenever they want.
Especially when they’re disguised as a hot chick looking to party with you…
What I’m hearing is those who did not consent to a search on the way in, got the dog. If the dog “indicated” – which is the LEO’s subjective judgement – then all their stuff was unloaded from the car, and the dog sniffed it all. Each drug was a different crime, and relatively small amounts were considered felony trafficking.
The best way to get the dog and the cops going through all of your stuff is to say “I do not consent to a search”. Would be interested to hear reports from Burners who did consent to the search – did they get the dog also?
Seems like once you got into the event, as long as you kept things on the DL (ie not publicly visible) then there were no problems with LEOs. Maybe BLM worked the event while PCSO worked the gate line?
Interesting, do you know how many of the 40 or so arrests were from this tactic? Also I wonder if anyone filmed these encounters. It all seems like pretty shaky grounds if challenged (I wonder if they plan on reducing most to fines like they have in the past).
This is most stunning, who watches the watchmen? In due of 30,000 newbies each burn, they are not of the ability to know whom are the BLM police, and whom are the Pershing County police. Might it have been the new Pershing County police whom, perchance, might have utilized ‘I do not consent to a search’ as a cause of a search? In the manner of their mates of Humbolt County of Nevada, profiling of suspected drug trafficers upon U.S. Interstate I 80, might the new Pershing County Sheriff stated to his police to profile burners near to Greeters? What might be the number of the 600 citations be in due of the BLM police, and what might be the number in due of the Pershing County police? Priorly, most of the citations were in due of the BLM police, including of the citations near to the Greeters. .
The kidnapping charge is interesting. Not too long ago a guy was helping a lost little girl find her mother in a parking lot, and the mother found him before he found her. At first he was arrested for kidnapping, but the mother tried to get the charges dropped because it was a misunderstanding. The DA lowered the charge to false imprisonment and convicted the guy anyway.
So it could be anything.