Preakness, beer and cops
So you thought this years Preakness -- with the Get Your Preak On promotion and unlimited beer for twenty bucks -- would mean a return to the debauchery of years past?
Think again.
The infield was so tame that Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III (at left, in a photo by The Sun's Gene Sweeney) moved cops out of there and sent them to other spots around the race track. So quiet that I spotted more than a few yawning tactical guys doing more watching than arresting. Cops sat on picnic tables and thumbed through race forms.
"A great day for Baltimore," Bealefeld said as he walked through the infield.
The stats from a day 38,000 people drinking?
Zero arrests. Twenty-three tossed for throwing beer or other frat-like issues.
That's nothing. Some Baltimore bars have more activity on a regular weekend.
That may have put frowns on some in the infield who wanted to repeat the "running of the urinals" but it put a happy face on Bealefeld who noted young people can get together, drink, have fun and still stay out of jail.
The complaints: people couldn't drink fast enough because it took so long first get, and then refill, the bottomless cups of beer. It seems Pimlico struck the balance they wanted -- give back the alcohol but with a catch. Without the bring-your-own kegs, people couldn't binge drink, and many tended to sober up between gulps.
Of course, you could get drunk if you really wanted too. But overall, the scene didn't turn into a total anything-goes drunk fest as it had in years past, but wasn't exactly a family affair either. The real test will be next year.
There some more debate in Sunday's Crime Beat column, and The Baltimore's Sun's Kevin Cowherd also weighs in on the sports pages.
Categories: Confronting crime, Crime humor, Top brass
Comments
Any day the cops don't have enough to do in Baltimore it is a very, very good day!
Cheers!
Posted by: Dana LaRocca | May 17, 2010 10:49 AM
What happened with the cop who punched the girl in the clubhouse section after the final race? The girl was lying there bleeding and the police did nothing.
Posted by: Anon | May 17, 2010 6:23 PM
My kids say that I was so tough on them because I worked 26 Preakness infield events in my career with the BPD. I saw things happen there that I had only heard stories about. I'm glad to see some semblance of civilized behavior.
Posted by: Dave Eastman | May 18, 2010 8:42 AM
Dana,
Nothing happend to the officer that punched the woman in her face. Actually the woman is being charged with assult, and resisting arrest, which is just crazy to me. The woman did nothing to the officer but exchange words, if the officer thought that she was being disorderly she should have just arrested her... assulting the woman by punching her 3 times in the face is uncalled for. As for resisting arrest, if you were punched 3 times in the face, knocked on the ground, and laying in a puddle of blood wouldnt you need a moment to get yourself together before putting your hands behind your back to be cuffed? I think the police commisioner Fred Bealefeld should step in and do something... he should see that what the officer did was wrong and she make her take leave without pay until further investigation. I think the officers knew what was going on was wrong thats why they were so concerned about people taking pictures, and videos.
Posted by: Kim | May 27, 2010 10:26 AM