There’s a new sheriff coming to Burning Man, and if he has things his way, there’s going to be a lot less Porky Pigging going on around the playa. The annual weeklong gathering of more than 60,000 people held in the Nevada desert kicks off Aug. 30, and incoming Pershing County sheriff Jerry Allen says he plans to “crack down on crime” at the event. Via The Reno Gazette-Journal:
“We don’t have the personnel to issue citations to 70,000 naked people on the playa, but we will be upholding the law to the best of our ability,” said Jerry Allen, a 39-year-old former deputy who replaced former Pershing County Sheriff Richard Machado in January.
Allen said he will be enforcing all laws outside of restrictions on nudity while he and his deputies work at Burning Man.
“Burning Man brings nothing to Pershing County except for heartache,” Allen said.
What a positive attitude this guy has! Especially in comparison to the last guy, who hired laid back retired officers for his patrols and refused to prosecute Burners for marijuana possession. Meanwhile, Sheriff Allen plans to bring in active duty officers from surrounding areas and stated he would increase the number of police from 30 to 130, if he could.
It’s unclear exactly what all these extra cops are needed for. In 2014, eight people had to be arrested, with only two of those crimes being violent offenses. And keep in mind Pershing County aren’t the only ones providing officers – there are also state and federal authorities at this event too.
Burners have noted that most law-breaking is dealt with via citations – $1500 fines for alcohol offenses, $700 for smoking a joint, and so on. A cynical person might think Sheriff Allen just wants the manpower to hand out more citations and bring in more money for his county. The unfortunate consequences of that involve creating an atmosphere of fear where the community doesn’t trust the police to help them, and of course the possibility that citations will put poorer folk into John Oliver’s infamous “f*ckbarrel” of escalating fines and warrants for arrest.
All to try and stop a bunch of people from getting naked and and raving out three hours from the closest blip of civilization. So watch out if you’re going to Burning Man – I don’t want to say the police aren’t there to keep you safe, but it’s much more likely they’ll fine you than help you.