Bikers Against Child Abuse

Bikes filled the Radisson parking garage as members of bikers against child abuse gathered for meetings and seminars. B.A.C.A. spans over twenty-two states and includes seventy chapters. The organization works with local police and state officials to make a difference in a child`s life and protect them from abuse. B.A.C.A. takes a unique approach by making themselves an obstacle for a perpetrator. Members believe physical presence is important to helping a child feel safe. B.A.C.A. members will even attend court cases with a child to let the child know he or she is not alone. "They realize there`s someone out there that doesn`t personally know them but is very concerned about their welfare and their well-being," says Dave Gustin, president of the Northwest Arkansas chapter. "If they are concerned that somebody`s going to bother them at night, we`ll come and we`ll sit on the porch all night...I look at it as a shield, we are a shield between that child and any further abuse." B.A.C.A. doesn`t use violence and gets permission from the family before getting involved with a child. All B.A.C.A. members must own a motorcycle, be at least twenty-one years old and pass an in-depth background check. The organization just opened their first international chapter in Australia and a member from that new chapter flew in for this weekend`s meeting. B.A.C.A.`s Northwest Arkansas chapter currently has around forty members. If you`d like to know more about the organization, visit www.bacausa.com.