South Dakota authorities on Sunday reported the first haul of crashes, arrests and citations from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the western part of the state.
The annual rally started on Friday, drawing thousands of maskless riders to the streets and bars of Sturgis. While organizers have said they expect fewer visitors than in other years, the Argus Leader reports the number of arrests, citations and accidents has kept pace with last year.
The Department of Public Safety reported that police made 84 arrests for driving under the influence or drug-related offenses during a 24-hour period spanning from Saturday into Sunday morning. That’s up from last year, when 76 people had been arrested in a similar time frame.
Police have also issued more citations, with 226 people getting tickets. The figure is 37 more than last year. But it appears police are less lenient this year and are letting fewer people off with warnings.
So far, police in the region have reported 18 crashes, which is down from last year’s mark of 20. None have been fatal.
