The Chicago Tribune is reporting the Bike Night event, organized by the owner of The Mill Bar and Grill, and held on a recent Thursday night had as many cops in attendance as bikers.
The local sheriff defended his show of force because of the presence of members from the local Hells Angels chapter.
"What you have here is an organization, the Hells Angels, that the Department of Justice has described as a syndicated crime organization," Sheriff Dave Reynolds told the Tribune.
A member of the Hells Angels Northwest Indiana Region said in a statement Saturday that the group's main objective is to ride motorcycles together. The club's notoriety draws a large crowd, though it likes to attach charities to its events because members support the communities they live in.
"As far as what we view as the excessive law enforcement build-up that's always present at our events, they've made it clear to us that they don't want motorcycle clubs in Porter County," he said. "We do understand the need for law enforcement in our society, however what happened Thursday night was a waste of their talents and a waste of our tax dollars."
More fundraisers are planned at the Mill Bar and Grill on the third Thursday of each month during the summer. If you attend, expect to see large numbers of police as the Sheriff's Dept is also planning additional "saturation" patrols during these bike nights.