Island police get ready for Oyster Run motorcycle run

Island County law enforcement agencies are getting ready again for the annual appearance of hundreds of motorcycles this weekend.

Island County law enforcement agencies are getting ready again for the annual appearance of hundreds of motorcycles this weekend.

The 28th annual Oyster Run motorcycle rally will be Sunday, Sept. 27 in Anacortes.

Thousands of motorcyclists took part last year, many of them arriving by ferry at Clinton and rumbling the length of Whidbey Island to reach the event.

There were no accidents or injuries recorded on the island last year, but there were numerous complaints from residents about the noise, and about long lines and delays at the ferries experienced by drivers of four-wheeled vehicles.

As they did last year, the Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Oak Harbor Police Department and the Coupeville Marshal’s Office will join their counterparts in Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties and the Washington State Patrol to beef up patrols from Friday through Sunday.

The effort again will be financed by a grant from the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. Last year, as many as 20 extra officers were deployed in South County, said Island County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Norrie, who coordinated enforcement during the 2008 rally.