Baker was the guest speaker at the Gun Barrel City branch of the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce monthly networking breakfast on Thursday.
Baker said when not in his sheriff uniform, he can be found wearing his Harley Davidson vest. Baker, founder of Gun Barrel City's Gunslingers Motorcycle Club, said he loves riding his Harley.
The man, who has been in law enforcement for over 30 years, said his motorcycle club affiliation is with the Blue Knights, a club that has more than 30,000 law enforcement members who ride Harleys. Blue Knights is the oldest and largest motorcycle club in America.
Baker said 99 percent of bikers are good people, but there is the one percent that are considered outlaws.
The one percent of bikers who make up the outlaw clubs belong to one of four motorcycle groups, including Hell's Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws or Pagans.
The Bandidos, known as a “one-percenter motorcycle club” was formed in Texas. The club considers itself to be an outlaw motorcycle club with over 2,400 members. They were founded by 36-year-old dockworker Donald Chambers in March 1966 in Houston.
Baker said you can tell a lot about motorcycle club members by the vests they wear.
“Most one-percenters wear a 3-piece vest,” he said.
Every patch on the bikers’ vest signifies something significant.
Baker told the chamber members the colors a motorcyclist wears will indicate which club he is affiliated with. The Hell's Angels wear red and white, while the Bandidos wear gold and red. The Blue Knights wear blue and white.
“Believe it or not, the Pagans colors are red, white and blue,” said Baker.
The other motorcycle club in Texas is the Cossacks. Baker said it was the Cossacks and the Bandidos at the center of the fight at the Waco restaurant that left nine people dead. Police arrested 170 people in connection with the shooting in Waco. According to Baker, this was a territorial fight among the bikers.
Baker said there are bikers in Henderson County affiliated with clubs such as the Bandidos and Cossacks, the sheriff's office doesn't have much trouble with the members of these clubs.
“They stay pretty quiet here in Henderson County,” said Baker
Thank You Sheriff Baker
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