Police cite few for underage drinking at The JoeBy Glenn Smith (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Police workPolice actions at the Dave Matthews Band concert on the Fourth of July: Five warning tickets issued prior to the event for driving-related issues. One arrest made for disorderly conduct. Three citations issued for underage drinking. Two underage people transported to hospitals for alcohol-related issues. Both released after observation. Numerous individuals ejected from the park for disorderly conduct, fighting and ticket-related issues. One 4-year-old reunited with her parents after they became separated at show. SOURCE: Charleston Police For all the uproar over a police crackdown on public drinking, the long arm of the law applied a fairly soft touch at Friday's Dave Matthews Band concert, issuing only a handful of tickets to underage imbibers. Charleston police made only one arrest during the Fourth of July concert at Joe Riley Park, taking one man into custody for disorderly conduct after he reportedly caused a drunken disturbance, police said. Police had announced that they weren't going to tolerate alcohol consumption by tailgaters outside the evening concert, which drew 15,000 people. Officers gave warnings to some folks who defied the ban, but police said they cited only three underage drinkers caught partaking. Two underage partiers also were transported to hospitals for alcohol-related problems. Both were treated and released, police said. Police workPolice actions at the Dave Matthews Band concert on the Fourth of July: --Five warning tickets issued prior to the event for driving-related issues. --One arrest made for disorderly conduct. --Three citations issued for underage drinking. --Two underage people transported to hospitals for alcohol-related issues. Both released after observation. --Numerous individuals ejected from the park for disorderly conduct, fighting and ticket-related issues. --One 4-year-old reunited with her parents after they became separated at show. Numerous people were tossed from the park for disorderly conduct, fighting and ticket problems, police said. Officers also issued warnings for traffic violations prior to the show and helped reunite a 4-year-old girl with her parents after they got separated, police said. Police Chief Greg Mullen said police weren't trying to spoil anyone's fun. The 40 off-duty officers who worked the show simply tried to ensure that no one's good time made them a danger to themselves or others, he said. "My goal was to make sure people could come in and have a good time and that nobody got hurt," he said. "And that's what we did." Perhaps the biggest disruption was the gridlock that confronted ticket-holders trying to get into the stadium through the single entrance that was open. A long line formed, and many folks had to wait more than an hour. A manager of employees searching people for contraband complained about the lack of additional entrances. A worker checking IDs outside the park grumbled that the RiverDogs' management had staffed the 7 p.m. concert as if it was a Monday night baseball game drawing only a couple of thousand people. Dave Echols, general manager of the RiverDogs, said that wasn't true. He said extra staff were on hand to check IDs, collect tickets and conduct security checks. The game plan for the night was drawn up in consultation with the band and the concert promoter. They agreed to move people through the main gate, which had eight entrance lanes, he said. Organizers expected more people to be in line at 5:30 p.m. when the gate opened. "That didn't happen," Echols said. "They all showed up at once." Echols said the line was "certainly a little bit longer than one would have wanted," but it moved fairly quickly. The RiverDogs would likely study ways to improve the situation should the park host a similar-sized event in the future, he said. Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or gsmith@postandcourier.com. |
Article tools |
|
Notice about comments: Charleston.net is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Charleston.net does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not charleston.net. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here. |
Comments
This article has 11 comment(s)
Posted by Cid95 on July 8, 2008 at 2:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So the sky was not, in fact, falling. All's well that ends well.
Posted by wonderdog on July 8, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So this whole gate fiasco wasn't the fault of the police? Some people are going to be very disappointed.....
Posted by yeayea on July 8, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You should've seen 9,000 people trying to leave the field through about 4 gates leading to stairs. I loved the concert but it was poorly planned. We showed up early enough to hear OCMS but stood in line for most of that performance. To be honest about the gate, I didn't really see a lot of inspecting by Riverdog employees. It was just a lot of people trying to get through at once.
Posted by postman01 on July 8, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This was "Much Ado about Nothing", which is also the title of a play written by William Shakespeare in the early 17th century and this also demonstrates how little people themselves have improved in the intervening 400+ years.
Posted by lou9 on July 8, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's see, 1 arrest, 3 underage drinkers, this required 40 off-duty officers getting paid overtime? There's Lord Joe and your tax dollars at work again. I wonder, will they have 40 officers looking for illegal drinking when the blue bloods have their wine festivals downtown?
Posted by Kerry on July 8, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Coldbeer - that was by far the most supreme comment that could possibly be used to sum up this or any other event that attracts a large crowd these days.
I suppose the 15,000th person must have gotten in free.
Posted by KidYendor on July 8, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The line search was anarcho-tyranny brought about by the security forces. The naturally law-abiding concert goers are made to fear police and security and made to fear to protest/complain when being peaceful while the violent-prone and illegal aliens run around uncontrollable doing what they want and calling themselves victims. It is one thing to have fast metal and gunpowder detection and another thing to be searched like you have been arrested when all you are doing is going to a show. Anarcho-tyranny, read about it as our liberty and freedom disintegrates.
Posted by Lenny on July 8, 2008 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lou9- the off duty officers are paid by the company that is in charge of the event not by the city... and yes there are off duty oficers at the wine fest, unfortunately "lord joe and his tax dollars" doesn't pay enough for officers to just work their shifts each week
Posted by carolinapanther on July 8, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lou9 is an idiot, just like lenny stated the city does not pay for off duty events, the company that is putting on the event pays for the officers to work the event.
Posted by blueeyes on July 8, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lou9, wow you sure are a genius! There were 40 OFF-DUTY OFFICERS.
Posted by wonderdog on July 8, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ROFLMAO, blueeyes!