Troopers on bikes help with Round-Up

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, September 13th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – As Pendleton’s population swells during Round-Up week, Police Chief Chuck Byram said that his officers vitally need the support that’s offered from area law enforcement agencies. Sgt. Rick Jackson oversees a group of officers in patrolling the areas where trouble might arise.

Jackson and his officers wear soft uniforms and are on the lookout for potential trouble so they can calm the waters before the tidal wave. Byram said another big help is the Oregon State Police Mobile Response Team. They can be seen cruising the area on bicycles.

“Every year we praise the work that they do,” Byram said. “We are thankful that they come in because it’s really turned this event into something that’s a lot more safe and a lot more friendly.”

Byram said the one thing that stands out every year is first-time visitors tend to overdo it on the first day instead of moderating their activities.

“I’ve seen a lot of people their first time here end up in jail for the whole week of Round-Up because they decided to have too much fun on one night and do something stupid like break a window or get in a fight,” he said. “I would encourage people to just have fun and pace yourself.”