The Pershing County Sheriff’s report for Burning Man 2018 paints a bleak picture. The cops can’t provide the coverage they need to because the event goes for months, not 7 days like the deal they cut in 2013.
The “liaison” person assigned by Burning Man has had to have the same legal process explained to them for 4 years in a row. The Sheriff understandably feels like they are talking to a brick wall, and are no longer going to engage with this person. Not a great sign.
Humboldt Medical, who got unceremoniously shoved out the door a couple of years ago, are now back as the vendor of choice for Burning Man’s medical needs.
Now we have the issue of Burning Man moving being re-assigned to Washoe County (where the city of Reno/Sparks is), which was just tabled at a County Commissioner’s meeting. Washoe are suggesting re-defining the boundary between Washoe and Pershing Counties so that Burning Man falls under Washoe’s jurisdiction. Effectively annexing part of Pershing County, NV for the benefit of a California corporation.
This would seem to make sense since the city of Reno have been enthusiastic about the cultural and economic benefits brought by Burners, whereas Pershing County’s nearest town of Lovelock are culturally against Burning Man and derive no benefit from the event, only costs.
Looks like there was another death this year, and plane crashes both this year and last year. Like so much of the Burning Man real news, this gets hushed up. Thanks to our source for all the information they have shared.
Pershing County Sheriff’s Office 2018 Post-Mission Synopsis
2018-PCSO-PMS-12018-PCSO-PMS-Appendixs-A-B-E
Some highlights:
Burning Man used to take the ice sales from Arctica (and the tips given there) and use that to support local charities in Gerlach, Lovelock and the surrounding area. This has sadly been on the decline, as “BMorg the tax free entity” has risen to the fore.
Charity:
Here’s the breakdown for 2017:
Pershing County
For 2017, Burning Man Project made donations to Pershing County organizations totaling $13,500. These organizations and groups include: Pershing County Senior Center, Eagle Scholarship, Pershing County Community Center, Pershing County High School Athletic Department, Pershing General Hospital & Nursing Care, Lovelock Animal Shelter, Lovelock Frontier Days, Lovelock Lions Club, Friends of the Library, Marzen House Museum, Kids, Horses & Rodeos, Lovelock Food Bank, Lovelock Boy Scouts Association, Lovelock Little League Association, Pershing County Arts Council, Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary, Lovelock Volunteer Fire Department and Project Graduation.
Since 2003, Burning Man has donated $468,350 to Pershing County organizations and charities.
I will be back sometime soon to bring you the 2017 Financial Analysis, based on the release of BMorg’s 2017 IRS Form 990
Have you considered FOIA to the BLM to learn the revenues by each OSS vendor, the OSS revenues by year, and to see the Operations Plan and after action reports?
In due of all this, how do I get a ticket to this party? I got a van and I’m single. In due of that, how do I rock it with the ladies?
Kudos to the source of this information, and kudos to burnersxxx for penning this post. A different title, of this post, might be 2018 Crime Scorecard in due of the information is contained within the appendix.
In the manner burnersxxx stated, Pershing County is culturally against Burners and Burning Man, in due of their Mormon beliefs, and the beliefs of their prison guard town of Lovelock. Sheriff Allen’s report, and his prior statements, are most biased against Burning Man. It is quite the contrast to the prior Sheriff Machado, whom was most professional in his statements, and actions.
Sheriff Allen, within his most biased report, does not state of the rationale of the payment for Pershing County, from Burning Man, is limited to the $247,736 within 2017, and $291,526 within 2018, and the Pershing County DA is not permitted to be involved with Burning Man, is in due of Pershing County desired to extort one million dollars per year from Burning Man, and, in due of this, a judge ruled these limits upon Pershing County. In addendum, Sheriff Allen, within his statements, and graphs, fails to state of there are near to 700 Black Rock City Rangers on the playa purposed to assist Burners for their safety, of which, it is quite the opposite of his Sheriff Deputies, whose near to sole purpose is to bust Burners for drugs.
Of the seventy two reports of drugs within the appendix, solely nine are for higher than an amount in due of personal use. Of the nine arrests in due of the Opioids Task Force upon the Paiute land, zero arrests were for opioids, and seven, of the nine, were not prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney in due of illegal searches of vehicles. The Nevada Highway Patrol, and Washoe County Sheriff Office, in addendum, had numerous patrols upon the highways in due of Burning Man, in despite of them stating, in a manner most similar to the Opioids Task Force, of that they were not there in due of Burning Man. All of the police activity, and harassment of Burners, by the near to one hundred fifty police of the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Opioids Task Force, the BLM Rangers, Paiute, WCSO, and the PCSO, gained them solely eighteen arrests for drugs in due of higher than an amount in due of personal use.
What might Burners learn in due of the report?
a) The BRC Rangers are your mates whom are solely purposed to assist Burners. Might any difficulties occur, go to the BRC Rangers, do not go to any of the police. Might the police be needed for Burner safety, the BRC Rangers will call the police.
b) The report states of 44 arrests by the PCSO, of which, most were for little amounts of drugs. Of the 463 BLM citations, 20% were in due of pissing on the playa, 20% were in due of wastewater on the playa, or in due of Burners not knowing of the new rules in regards of fuel storage, 20% were in due of possession of a controlled substance, perchance, solely a joint, and 20% were in due of vehicle speeding, lights, registration, or licence. In addendum, the 290 BLM warnings were most similar. Zero citations were in due of bicycle racks on cars, in despite of the police halting, and desiring to search, numerous Burners in due of bicycle racks.
What Burners might learn in due of this is, from the Nevada state line, to when your vehicle is parked at your camp, do not give the police any rationale to halt, and attempt to search, your vehicle.
c) There were thirteen reports of sexual assault on the playa, of which, four traveled to Reno for the rape kit. This is the crime Pershing PCSO should investigate, and the rationale why Burning Man needs the PCSO on the playa, but the PCSO are too busy desiring to bust Burners for little amounts of drugs. My belief is, of the nineteen PCSO Deputies upon the playa, solely three, or four, were investigators. Of the fifty three BLM Rangers, and Forrest Service Rangers, upon the playa, zero were investigators in due of solely BLM Agents are permitted to investigate crimes, BLM Rangers are not permitted to investigate crimes.
d) Learn How to Deal with Cops at Burning Man
e) The BLM desired a lower number of volunteers, vendors, and contractors upon the playa within 2018. There were near to 10,000 upon the playa within 2017, and solely near to 7,630 upon the playa within 2018. This explains the rationale of why the BMOrg screwed numerous volunteers whom earned free tickets to Burning Man 2018, in addendum of the rationale of why the gate lines were so long.
Kudos, again, to whomever supplied this awesome information.
f) Of the 72 reports of amounts of drugs from the PCSO, solely two were of marijuana, and both were for a tad more than one ounce. And, the number of citations for drugs was lowered from near to 250, to near to 120 after 2013, and it was 155 within 2018. My belief is this is of the meaning of, at the most, two Burners were arrested for marijuana within 2018, and the BLM halted many of the citations for marijuana after 2013. At the most, solely 80 burners were cited for marijuana, but, my belief is of it is a much lower number, in despite of the police dogs alerting to marijuana in vehicles.
We did cover the 2018 crime scorecard here: https://burners.me/2018/09/03/2018-crime-scorecard-43-arrests/
There is a lot more information from the Sheriff’s Post-Mission Synopsis.
It seems clear that EVERYONE supports the redefining of the borders to bring this event to Washoe County. Note that is where ALL of the rape kit victims went. 13 rapes, 4 of them so serious that the victim left the event and went to get a professional rape kit collection. Will this lead to 4 rape convictions?
I am not convinced there was any pressure from the Sheriff’s to reduce the number of volunteers. Rather, their position is that if population numbers exceed certain numbers, they get more money – as previously negotiated. It seems clear that the numbers have increased from tickets sold, which is reducing the number of volunteer tickets. Official numbers say 300 or so tickets sold above the max, but going from the volunteer reduction it could be more like 3000. Presumably these were all the $1500 tickets. WHERE DOES ALL THE MONEY GO? We won’t see 2018’s form 990 for a year or more, but it will be interesting attempting to make all the numbers match up.
Thank you, burnersxxx, the information is awesome. Everyone might agree this sheriff of a small town does not have the desire, or ability, to provide proper police services to an event of this manner.
More Law Enforcement fewer arrests
The Agency (WCSO) has an authorized strength of 412 commissioned, 283 civilian, and 56 intermittent hourly employees. We also have 11 active Reserve Deputy Sheriffs and a volunteer corps of 422 persons. The Sheriff’s Office has an annual operating budget of $119 M and has over $5 M in restricted funding such as grants and donations.
PCSO has 15 sworn (when fully staffed 1 being a Youth Recourse Officer), 5 Dispatch and 2 Admin.
Burning Man related WCSO statistics:
Arrests 7: 6 PCS / drug related, 1 Battery on police animal, O+R (Pershing County PC for ADW, GTA)
Traffic Accidents; 5 Actual accident reports taken, 6 accidents in NHP jurisdiction HOJ
Traffic Stops: 335, Citations (for traffic violations): 94
Disabled vehicles: 17
DOP: 1
Yes, it is good might Pershing County and Washoe Couty change their border lines for all of Burning Man to be within Washoe County, it is for the benefit of all. The government of Nevada changed parties today, might they desire it too?
And, a RGJ article on the Burning Man-Pershing County lawsuit settlement agreement penned in due of the lawsuit by Burning Man against Pershing County within 2012, when Pershing County desired to charge Burning Man $600,000, to $1,000,000, in levies, and desired Burning Man, and Burners, to obey their Mormon moral rules. By their prior statements, this settlement agreement is until 2023.