Myrtle Beach monitoring ‘Bike Week Round 2’ event planned for Labor Day

Organizers of the Black Bike Week website and Facebook page are encouraging motorcyclists to return to Myrtle Beach on Labor Day weekend to end the summer “how it started.”

A private Facebook group, “Bike Week Round 2,” recently was created and has more than 1,300 members.

“We want to end the summer with a bang and end it how we started, in MYRTLE BEACH!” read a message to those who signed up to receive emails from BlackBikeWeek.us. “We want to get as many people together as possible to enjoy riding, relaxing and partying [Labor Day] weekend!”

The event is being promoted as “one last ride” to be held Sept. 5 to 7.

Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said the city is aware of the information circulating on Facebook and keeping an eye on it.

“I think that [website] tried to do that last year and we did not see any effect [on crowds],” Kruea said.

It was unclear from online postings if a similar event was held last year. A moderator of the Black Bike Week Facebook page could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

“We’re monitoring [the event] and will be prepared if there’s an unexpected increase in visitors that weekend,” Myrtle Beach police spokesman Lt. Joey Crosby said.

Grand Strand officials took a number of steps to curtail crime during Memorial Day weekend, when Atlantic Beach Bikefest – colloquially known as Black Black Week – takes place. In 2014, three people died and seven were injured in eight shootings on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach during Memorial Day weekend.

This year, officials spent millions of dollars, vastly increased the number of officers from other jurisdictions that helped Grand Strand police patrol the area and implemented an overnight 23-mile traffic loop that routed drivers and riders away from Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach officials called the weekend a success and police reported 300 fewer arrests made and citations given this year compared to last year.

Weapons offenses dropped from 23 to six this year and there were two reported shootings – one with injuries and one without.