Hollister, California is gearing up for its annual July 4th motorcycle rally.
Set to take place from July 4-6, the town that calls itself the “Birthplace of the American Biker” will play host to more than 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country, many of whom began arriving early this week, according to the Hollister Free Lance.
The rally will feature motorcycle riders flaunting their rides on the main drag, live music, beer gardens, and food vendors, and is free to the public. There will be a fireworks show on Friday and the annual poker run is set for Saturday morning.
Equally as prepared for the rally are Hollister police, who have just finished installing about three dozen surveillance cameras around town.
“We can’t have an officer standing on every corner,” Hollister police Cpt. Carlos Reynoso told local NBC affiliate KSBW. “But if we have these cameras up, they’re an independent witness as to what happened and it’s a tool we can use in the future to solve crimes or find out what really happened in certain situations.”
The plan for the installation of surveillance cameras was approved directly due to the expected influx of bikers for the celebratory weekend. Police said they would not monitor the cameras around the clock, but rather review tapes when a crime has occurred.
Hollister taxpayers will pay roughly $300,000 for the cameras. However, at least one resident does not seem to mind.
“I can see both sides to the story,” Katherine Beccera told KSBW. “But in all reality, when you are out in public, you don’t have an expectation of privacy, so if the government decides to videotape you in public there’s no big difference between that and someone walking down the street and seeing what you doing. So if you’re not doing anything wrong, then it shouldn’t be an issue.”
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