Law Enforcement, Legislation and Outlaw Biker Control

Abstract

Law enforcement agencies have arguably been slow to understand the cultural dynamism and resilience of outlaw bikers and their persistence within contemporary society. This chapter identifies outlaw bikers in the context of folk devils and moral panic. In this, the media/law enforcement/politician nexus is discussed. Issues of hyper-masculinity and the paramilitary culture of the outlaw bikers are viewed within the context of attempts by law enforcement to curtail their existence, a move they view as a direct threat reinforcing outlaw biker resilience and cohesion. This chapter considers global attempts through legislation and assesses their success to combat outlaw bikers locally and globally. The last section of this chapter addresses various crime prevention strategies to develop meaningful approaches to outlaw bikers with a focus on developmental and community-based crime prevention that address the strains of modern society creating the environment in which outlaw bikers thrive.