BROCKTON — They ride loud motorcycles, wear identifying patches and tattoos and meet in secure clubhouses tucked in residential neighborhoods of Taunton and Brockton.
They are members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, an international group with 90 chapters in the United States, three in Massachusetts — Brockton, Taunton and East Boston.
Last week, 15 Outlaws and associates were charged with federal drug and firearms violations. The arrests and seizure of 17 guns culminated a two-year investigation that centered on the Taunton chapter but reached into Brockton, Bridgewater, Norton and beyond.
The probe and arrests also bring to the forefront the gang activity emanating from these clubs, according to Brockton Police Chief William Conlon.
“They can fly under the radar,” the chief said, pointing to an ominous looking Hunt Street clubhouse in Brockton, which is surrounded by fences and security cameras and protected by a guard dog.
Some see the clubhouse as a boon to the neighborhood.
“You couldn't ask for better neighbors,” said a neighbor who would only identify himself as Steve. “In a way, they protect the neighborhood.”
But Conlon said it's not what they do at the clubhouse, where they prefer not to attract attention — “It's what they do everywhere else.”
The Outlaws are the older generation of the neighborhood street gangs, according to the chief.
“They blend in with society more, they are almost totally white,” Conlon said. “It's easier for them to be seen in the community as 'some guy' and not a problem.
“They're involved in violent crime that doesn't always get traced back to them because of intimidation,” he said.
“The street kids draw attention by wearing the baggy jeans, their colors. These guys (Outlaws) don't attract that attention, but they're just as dangerous, if not more so. They have more resources available, they're more organized.”
Since last week's bust, the Outlaws' Web sites have been down. No one answered the door at the Taunton clubhouse this week. The Brockton clubhouse sits behind a locked fence where a dog kept guard.
“They don't answer the door for anybody, not even the police,” said Steve, the neighbor.
He said he was not surprised by the criminal complaints brought against club members, but attributed the problems to “loose cannons.”
“You have young, rambunctious guys who try to make a name for themselves,” he said.
Few complaints
While there have been past problems — including the shooting of three club members outside the Brockton club in 2006 and neighborhood complaints about activity at the Taunton club on School Street — nearby residents and businesses had no complaints when interviewed last week.
Neighborhood merchants in Taunton said the Outlaws do not frequent their shops and they never see any unusual activity at the single-level clubhouse that sits on the School Street sidewalk there.
The black covering on the windows distinguishes it from the neatly kept older homes in the densely populated area.
“They don't bother nobody,” said a man behind the counter at a nearby automotive supply shop. “Most of the neighbors didn't know they were there.”
The man, who declined to give his name, is among the growing number of motorcyclists in the state. And he rides a Harley Davidson, the bike associated with the Outlaws. He said the allegations of criminal activity among the Outlaws do not reflect what all motorcyclists do.
While members of several clubs declined to comment on the Outlaws, unaffiliated motorcyclists decry criminal activity alleged by authorities.
“It wreaks havoc on everybody's life when they do things like that,” said a mechanic at a Taunton Harley Davidson shop. He, too, declined to give his name.
“That kind of behavior makes everybody look bad,” said Jack Henry, 64, of Middleboro, who has spent his life around motorcycles.
While members of the Outlaws and other motorcycle clubs are welcome at shops and events, Henry said, “We don't want them wearing their colors.”
All walks of life
Bridgewater firefighter Paul Chiulli, a former Harley Davidson rider, said some clubs are known for their problems, mischief and illegal activities while others strictly adhere to the fun of the sport and are often family-oriented.
“Back in the '60s and '70s when the Hells Angels and other hardcore motorcycle clubs came out, they were known for going into clubs and barrooms, raising hell and finding themselves on the other side of the law,” Chiulli said. “But, even they do have a kinder side, helping charities.”
People from all walks of life are drawn to the sights, sounds and smells of motorcycling, especially Harley Davidsons, said Leo Donoghue of East Bridgewater, director of deacons for the Archdiocese of Brockton, and a Harley rider for 30 years.
“Every strata of folks has a bad side,” Donoghue, 62, said, While a loud, powerful motorcycle may paint one image, he said, “I wouldn't think the outlaw gang image is prevalent any longer.”
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