Mullen: Safety is Job 1Police chief not opposed to alcohol, just the negative behavior it too often can generate By Glenn Smith (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Mic Smith East Side resident Willie Nelson speaks with Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen about ways to reduce sidewalk congestion. 
Mic Smith Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen spends at least a few hours each week walking city streets and chatting with residents about their concerns. He stopped last week to talk with Helen DeGroat at a community center on the East Side as she was caring for 3-month-old Jalaya Williams. Video
Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen explains how his department is working to curb problem behaviors to make the city a safer place. Watch » Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen wants to set the record straight: He's not a killjoy, he doesn't mind if you have a beer and he doesn't sit up nights wondering how he can snatch wine glasses from the hands of strolling ArtWalk patrons. Mullen has taken some hits in recent months for a police crackdown on drinking in public. Some folks think the chief is out to strip this thirsty port city of its Southern charm by curtailing tailgating and other forms of outdoor imbibing. Some residents have suggested that police are making the drinking issue a top priority and have gone so far as to station undercover officers along the path of art walks to catch people partaking of the vine. "That's ridiculous," the chief said. "We are not spending an inordinate amount of time on this alcohol issue. We're very clear on what our priorities are." Mullen said his primary mission is to keep his city and its citizens safe. Tracking down tipplers is hardly at the top of his to-do list, but it is part of a broader mosaic of initiatives designed to reduce crime and promote safety, he said. He thinks those efforts are working, in large part. Homicides and assaults are down, and the city hasn't had a single fatal crash this year in which alcohol played a part. Reducing violent crime remains the chief priority, Mullen said. To that end, police are using new technologies to analyze crime patterns and are shifting manpower to quickly cover hot spots and address problems. They've also pushed for longer sentences and federal prison time for persistent drug and gun offenders. At the same time, police have tried to address quality-of-life and safety issues by targeting crash-prone intersections, cracking down on drunk drivers and reacting to neighborhood concerns about vandalism, noise and other problems, Mullen said. Over-indulgence in alcohol, however, is a common thread that runs through many areas of concern, from domestic violence and shootings to vandalism and car accidents, Mullen said. It's not the booze itself that concerns him, but the behaviors it generates, he said. French Quarter residents recently complained to police about noisy bar patrons roaming their streets, fighting, defacing homes, damaging cars and painting graffiti on walls. Police also have seen drunken people become prey for robbers and rapists or getting mowed down by a passing car. Whitney Hinds, a College of Charleston senior, saw this malt-induced mayhem first-hand this year when she volunteered for a program in which students walk downtown streets trying to help peers who might be drunk. The Peer Assistance Leadership program is a collaboration between the college and police. Hinds witnessed a bar fight on her first night out. She and other peers also intervened to help an intoxicated young woman who was being pursued by a man. More frequently, they saw loud, inebriated young people who stumbled into traffic, retched in the streets and otherwise presented themselves as prime targets for criminals. "I had no idea this was going on," Hinds said. "It was very powerful for me to see it. It gave me more appreciation for police officers and what they have to deal with." Some residents see a big difference between rampaging college kids and well- mannered folks who simply want to drink some suds outside a football game or sip Pinot Noir while admiring art. They maintain that it is patently unfair to paint everyone with the same brush and chip away at Charleston's aesthetic charm. "I think it is ludicrous to go after middle-age, middle-class people walking along Queen Street with a glass of wine on an art walk," downtown resident Robert Stockton said. "That is not causing crime." Stockton recently wrote a letter to the editor of The Post and Courier noting the illustrious role that alcohol has played in Charleston's storied history, from the copious consumption of rum during colonial times to the creation of Planter's Punch during the antebellum period. He also recounted the various failed efforts to control the city's thirst over the years. Of the recent police crackdown on ArtWalk drinking, he simply stated "How un- Charlestonian." Maybe so, Mullen said, but it would be unethical for police to enforce the law with some folks and not others. In other words, what's good for the guy slugging a forty of malt liquor out of a paper bag must also be applied to the well-heeled wine drinker who likes to march about admiring paintings of marsh scenes. "If we're going to enforce this, we have to enforce it consistently across the board," Mullen said. That said, police are hardly sending squads into the streets to root out errant quaffers. Anyone who attended the free-flowing Dave Matthews Band concert on July 4 can attest to that. The idea, Mullen said, is simply to put people on notice that the law will be enforced when officers spot a violation (though a warning is still more likely than a ticket for a first offense). Mullen doesn't consider himself an unreasonable man, nor is he tone deaf to the wishes of the community. He spends at least a few hours each week walking city streets and chatting with residents about their concerns. On a recent afternoon, East Side residents waved and called Mullen's name as he strolled through their neighborhood, where drugs and violence have often gone hand-in-hand. He knew many people by name, reeling off various details of their lives and how many years they had lived here. "It helps for people to see me, to know who I am," he said. As he drove along Line Street, heading through the West Side, Mullen spotted two boys wrestling in the roadway. They jumped back on the sidewalk as he pulled his unmarked car to the curb. "All right, who's winning?" he said casually. The two boys exchanged glances, then each one pointed at the other. Mullen smiled. "You have to stay out of the street," he said. He shook his head as he drove away. To him, the encounter — like his alcohol policy — was another chance to remind people to be safe. "As police chief, part of my responsibility is to manage risk," he said. "I always have to think about the worst that can happen." Reach Glenn Smith at gsmith@postandcourier.com or 937-5556. |
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Comments
This article has 25 comment(s)
Posted by palmettoruckus on July 13, 2008 at 12:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FIRST!
Posted by carolinapanther on July 13, 2008 at 1:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Chief you have my support! You are doing a good job protecting our city. Thanks for all you and the CPD do for us in Charleston. Keep up the good work.
Posted by FiscalConservative on July 13, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its easier to meet your quota handing out tickets to CofC students than it is to go after real crime.
Posted by thequestion on July 13, 2008 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The chief's primary objectives, eradicate CofC public drinking, clean up the art walks, stop speeding on the non-residential end of Broad/Lockwood, and ignore the gang problem. The arrest numbers go up while the real problems go unsolved.
Posted by blk_avenger on July 13, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree question, it's nice window dressing. As the old saying goes "baffle em with BS".
Posted by drp7773 on July 13, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Quite the spin........The cops dont seek out the ones that are drinking or tailgating , that is BS they do have undercover cops at these events there is no way they are going to pass up a chance to write a ticket or an arrest to get money for the city, And I am very sure like he said he wouldn't bother the ones walking down the street with a glass of wine yeah ok Spoleto folks is ok to drink in other words the rich snobs and friends of Riley its ok to drink and no way are they going to make bad press for this event. But a country show well you know who cares right.
Posted by chucktonian on July 13, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I say hail to the Chief.
drinking in public is illegal. forget writing tickets, throw them in jail. let the alcoholics and the beer lobby whine, but the law is the law.
tolerating small crimes leads to big crimes. I applaud this crackdown
Posted by farfallaspeaks on July 13, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's hard to have respect for the laws and those who enforce them, when nobody will let me smoke my herbs in peace.
Nobody has ever committed violence under the influence of marijuana.
So why can't I go out on the streets and smoke a joint while I look at art and drink my wine?
WHY is it illegal again?
I mean, I've been smoking herb all day every day for the past 20 years, and I'm still not addicted, and right now, I'm out, and I'm perfectly fine.
If they want us to respect the law, they should make the laws make sense.
Posted by Eyes_N_Skies on July 13, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dissssssssss is Mulletzzzzzzzzzzzz newwwwwwwwwww quoteeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.
Posted by desspec on July 13, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How much of the above mentioned troubles have occured at Citadel tailgating (the first target)and artwalks? You should see the police scouring the Citadel parking lot every ten minutes.
Posted by carolinapanther on July 13, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is it so hard to understand, Obey the law and quit whining like little babies that got their toy taken away from them. The law is the law and it is the police duties to enforce the law. You all are a bunch of little brats, get over your drinking problems.
Posted by Pols101 on July 13, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A few years ago I saw a drunken fist fight at a bar in downtown Charleston. The police came and told both of the guys to go sign a warrant on each other if they wanted to. Then they sent them staggering on their way. The police did nothing. The guys should have both been arrested and charged with public drunk or public disorderly conduct. I am glad this chief has decided to do his job. Sorry police work sucks!
Posted by wonderdog on July 13, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Middle school history and government class: the police do not make up the laws. Quit your bellyaching and contact your legislator if you disagree with the laws.
Pols101, if the police had arrested the guys in the fist fight, there would be public outcry from many that the cops were picking on the drunks and that they should be arresting the "real criminals" (those who use guns instead of fists to settle disagreements).
We appreciate you, Chief - you have a lot of support. Many who post on these boards think hating cops makes them look cool and tough.....and they would wet their pants if they encountered half the stuff you and your officers do.
Posted by jeff61 on July 13, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by farfallaspeaks on July 13, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I mean, I've been smoking herb all day every day for the past 20 years, and I'm still not addicted, and right now, I'm out, and I'm perfectly fine.
Every day........for 20 years.......not addicted.
I think that statement speaks for its self. LOL....More power to ya and your herbs.
Posted by wonderdog on July 13, 2008 at 8:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I work in the legal field, Thomas, and I don't see that any laws were authored or made up by the police. It would serve you well to take a middle school government course. Better yet, grown some ***** and do a ride along in a high crime area of North Charleston or Charleston (midnight shift, if you dare), and you will see what a police officer does on his/her shift. I'm sure you have a hundred reasons why you can't, yet you will continue to be a self anointed expert in criminal justice.
Posted by wonderdog on July 13, 2008 at 9:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Excuse the typo - the correct words are "......GROW some..."
Posted by farfallaspeaks on July 13, 2008 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jeff, do you know what an addiction is?
It's when your body is physically in pain when you don't take a substance. PAIN!!
Just 'cause someone smokes a joint every day, does not make them an addict. I also drink a cup of coffee every morning. My grandma eats McDonalds every morning, which is probably more harmful. Is that an addiction too? You're uneducated.
Posted by STREETLAW on July 13, 2008 at 10:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
See the main thing is that people drink responsibly. Further, remember those people who are drinking on the sidewalk are sooner or later going to be driving CARS.
I try to drink responsibly but when I take a drink oh to I demt sem ta thin cleery annnnnymo
Posted by farfallaspeaks on July 13, 2008 at 10:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More people drink responsibly than irresponsibly.
Just 'cause a few stupid people get overly drunk and get into trouble, does not mean everyone who drinks alcohol is bad.
Even Jesus drank wine.
Having an alcoholic beverage outside does not create trouble.
Troubled people create trouble.
Posted by STREETLAW on July 13, 2008 at 10:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If Mullen really wants to rack up there are several venues, including city sponsored golf and sporting events, that will yield a never ending stream of DUI's.
But the truth is the Alcohol and Drug Cult (ADC) is a social institution of long standing. It's membership goes to the highest levels of government and business. There will be always be token enforcement, but no one is ever going to pull an Elliot Ness and try to shut it down. In fact, law enforcement is really geared to facilitate drinking.
Over 300,000 people a year die from alcohol related causes in the USA. Sacrificial lambs at the alter of the ADC. What was that about drinking responsibly again?
Posted by wonderdog on July 14, 2008 at 7:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thomas, I indicated my background so that you might be aware that legal research is part of my job. There are crooked people in every field, and NO ONE has any problem with those being punished. Are you willing to tell us what your profession is? I also have college and postgraduate degrees from an out of state university. Are you willing to tell us what your educational background is?
I know several police officers, male and female, on the city and county police forces, and they show more integrity, intelligence and courage in a day than you will in a lifetime. Now, back to my question: how about doing a ride along?
Posted by wonderdog on July 14, 2008 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great point, and go Vols!
Posted by hawks10 on July 14, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thomas you are a tool. If you don't like the City, then please leave. Won't miss you and sure won't miss your posts.
Posted by rockytopron on July 14, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nice Job Police, keep up the good work!
Posted by rjcontego on July 14, 2008 at 11:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
P&C..do some reporting and tell us facts..how many citations/arrests have there been due to drinking in public from the art walk? ..."he doesn't sit up nights wondering how he can snatch wine glasses from the hands of strolling ArtWalk patrons" is a wonderful fact, huh..something he doesn't do and im sure it was verified..haha..more facts, less fancy writing please