SHERIFF PLAYS HARDBALL WITH BIKE POLO TEAM

Eleven Players Arrested for Trespassing 

Spend Nine Hours in Jail Before Release 

*   *   *
"We sit in this  room amongst true criminals. Shoulder to shoulder with thieves, drug addicts, and prostitutes. Some of us up to 8 hours, without knowing what the next step is."  -- Polo Player



WANTED FOR SLAYING THE GAME

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

And The MilwaukeeWorld Hound Dog Team

Eleven members of Milwaukee's champion Bicycle Polo Team were arrested by Milwaukee County Sheriff Deputies on trespassing charges at around 5:30 p.m. last evening, Sunday, January 10th, 2010 and were jailed before their release this morning. Some spent longer than nine hours incarcerated before being released, according to a person familiar with cycle circles.
One of those arrested told the Hound Dog he was surprised at being jailed pending the issuance of a mere citation. It was his first arrest for any offense. He said that the deputies did not find any illegal substances on any of the arrestees or any evidence of criminal activities at the site.

According to Eric Kremin, one of those arrested, writing at mkebikepolo.com:

 In the end they arrested 4 college students, 4 college graduates, an Artist, 2 bicycle mechanics and new player to find absolutely nothing. No drugs no warrants, not a damn thing. They wasted our time and the city’s over a simple game that we are passionate about, bike polo.

Those arrested included bicycle messengers, bicycle shop employees, and Kremin, an inventor / manufacturer of polo accessories for bicycles. Members of the team, known as the Beaver Boys, placed second in the Midwest Bike Polo Champeenships in November, losing to Chicago's Machine Politics.

Team members have traveled internationally in the last year, spreading this city's fame and drawing players to Milwaukee from places like Paris. We could use more tourists from Paris around here.

MAY BE ARMED WITH A PLASTIC MALLET

The arrests occurred at the county-owned O'Donnell parking structure on Milwaukee's lakefront, long the site of the team's clandestine practices.  The team had been searching for a winter practice facility, preferably one that was lit, but had difficulty finding a suitable location.

RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING PARISIANS TO MILWAUKEE IN 2009

The O'Donnell structure, otherwise unused at that hour and day, has relatively unobstructed flat surfaces sufficient for a decent practice session. This writer personally witnessed a spirited match held at the garage last summer. The team had hoped to use the Red Arrow Park skating rink for matches during the non-skating season, but was denied by the Parks Department, citing nonsense reasons.

RELEASED FROM JAIL. WHAT WILL HE INVENT NEXT?

The Sheriff has shown a continual pattern of inhospitability to the bicycle polo players whom he cannot distinguish from vandals, graffiti artists, or card-carrying Democrats, apparently.

Milwaukeeworld extends its condolences to the Beaver Boys and has sent a request to the Sheriff for information on this incident.

Update: Tuesday, January 12th, 2009: The Sheriff's deputies took the players' mallets which have not been returned to them. Players checked the courthouse Dumpsters to see if they were in the trash. They weren't.

The parking structure is hardly a high-crime scene. Only eight citations have been written there since 1998 -- three of them for prohibited skateboarding or roller skating.

Here is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's coverage of the story by Tom Held.

A fundraiser for the Milwaukee Polo 11 will be held at an upcoming date at Regano's Roman Coin.

The Milwaukee Courier Company has offered the use of its cargo van to transport the confiscated bicycles back to their owners. MCC has also signed an agreement to be the courier of record for Good Harvest Market customers.