STARKS – Don Christen, founder of Maine Vocals and host for the annual Hempstock pro-marijuana festival, said Monday that although a heavy police presence affected attendance at the three-day event, he still considers it a success.

“Yes, they did cut the crowd down some with their Gestapo presence,” Christen said, “but we still did real well. They didn’t stop us, and we broke no laws.”

Christen estimated that 3,000 people attended the festival, which ran from Friday through Monday, despite roadblocks and police searches on the festival site.

In past years, police often have stopped vehicles leaving Hempstock, a practice that Christen favors, but this year, roadblocks were set up to search those entering the festival and search warrants were issued for the Hempstock grounds on Route 43 in response to complaints from local selectmen.

Earlier this year, Starks’ townspeople passed a tough mass-gathering ordinance at their annual town meeting in an attempt to limit the impact of the festival on their community.

The Starks’ ordinance requires a mass-gathering permit when more than 750 people gather in a six-hour period. State law allows for 2,000 people in a 12-hour time frame.

Christen said Monday that the festival never violated the ordinance.

“We didn’t violate anything, no ordinances,” he said.

But Maine State Police troopers converged on the event, held annually at Harry Brown’s farm, and videotaped the crowd to document any violations of either the state or local mass-gathering laws.

Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said that initial reports indicate the local law was clearly violated and the video will be key in seeing whether the state law was broken as well. If any charges are to be filed, he said, that decision will rest with the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office.

In addition, Christen could be charged with disorderly conduct if the district attorney determines that Hempstock violated a 10 p.m. noise curfew.

Christen said he had two noise meters on hand while more than 35 bands played throughout the weekend. He said the sound was so quiet that bands played from 2 a.m. to dawn Saturday and Sunday and “no one even knew.”

Christen said he is outraged that vehicles traveling on Route 43 before they entered Hempstock were searched.

“I absolutely agree with searching cars when they leave,” said Christen. “I don’t want anyone driving drunk or anything like that. But it is ridiculous to search those coming in.

“People had to wade through roadblocks. Have they ever done this to any other festival or event? No. Can you imagine the outcry if everyone headed to the Skowhegan State Fair had their car searched?”

Christen said the increased police presence will not deter the Maine Vocals. Harvestfest, another pro-marijuana event, is scheduled at the same location in two weeks.

“We’re going to wake the town up at dawn with ‘The Star Spangled Banner,'” said Christen. “I guess that it is time we started thinking about ourselves.”

In the wake of Hempstock, McCausland said that Maine State Police troopers and deputies from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department charged several minors with illegal possession of alcohol, while other drivers were charged with drunken driving and other infractions. There also were some drug charges filed, including the arrest of a Newport man after he returned home from Starks and allegedly attempted to sell a variety of drugs Saturday night in Newport.

According to McCausland, figures compiled by Maine State Police Troop C Commander Dale Lancaster on Monday indicate a total of 1,012 vehicles went through a state police checkpoint.

As a result, 30 people were summoned for drug or liquor violations. McCausland said these centered around marijuana possession or possession of drug paraphernalia and juveniles having alcohol. There also were 25 summonses issued for a variety of motor vehicle violations, ranging from inspection sticker violations to lack of insurance to failure to wear seat belts.

McCausland said 12 speeding tickets were issued and four people were charged with operating after suspension. More than 500 warnings were issued. The state police issued no drunken driving summonses, while the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department charged two people with operating under the influence.

On Saturday afternoon, a 19-year-old man from Lowell was injured when the vehicle he was driving crashed and burned as he was returning to Hempstock after driving to nearby Industry for supplies.

Brian Thompson managed to climb out of his 1988 Chevrolet Blazer just before it erupted in flames. The Blazer reportedly had drifted off Route 43 and struck a large tree.

McCausland also confirmed that Maine State Police were investigating a sexual assault complaint filed by a woman who was attending Hempstock. The 24-year-old woman reported that the alleged rape took place about 3 a.m. Sunday, and police reportedly are interviewing two men who also attended the music festival. He said no one has been charged yet in the incident.