Preakness and the Running of the Drunks

Buz looks back on Preakness, which is tomorrow, with a mixture of shaking my head, disdain, and skepticism. I'm told it's all about the money; and that's nice, but you have to wonder if it is really worth it sometimes, as the city and the racing "industry" loses all moral authority regarding the infield.

If tomorrow is as hot and humid as today was, the drinking will be heavy, and the trouble will be brewing.

When I was promoted to Captain in 1990 ( I know, I know, a couple of years ago), I was sent to be the deputy commander of the Northwestern District, where Pimlico is located. But it was in August, so I missed the Preakness that year. I later learned that 1990 was one of the worst years we had as far as policing the neighborhoods around the track went. Officers would attempt arrests by themselves, not realizing that one knucklehead was often with a pack of others--all drunk, rowdy, and feeling that all rules were dismissed for the day. (they just came from the infield, so who could blame them). The officer would then get attacked as the friends tried to release and liberate their arrested friend. As other officers responded to the call for assistance, they often couldn't get thru because of the traffic, so they abandoned their cars and ran several blocks, thus causing even more traffic chaos with the police cars blocking the street. There were assaults, several arrests, and chaos lasting the remainder of the day.

In '91, I was asked to plan the district's deployment for the neighborhoods surrounding the track on Preakness day, and was able to create a plan for using the Northwestern cops in a more planned, sensible and strategic manner. I'm modestly proud to say the in the remaining 5 years I was at NWD, problems were minimal, and arrests were a handful. I left right after the 1995 Preakness to go downtown to spearhead the privatization of the fire and police medical services.

But, I remember thinking: Why is the city providing several hundred police to the Pimlico Infield on behalf of a private firm, not to support horse racing, but instead to subsidize drunken brawls, anti-women behavior, racist actions by semi-thugs, and under age drinking?

I remember one year at a planning meeting, where a high-ranking police official asked that black officers not be stationed around the music stage, since they were the special targets of beer-can throwers. The favorite sport of the day (someone said there was a horse race?) was taking a can of beer, popping the top, and when almost full, throwing it at someone/anyone. It didn't have to be a cop. Everyone between the thrower and the target would get beer on them! And when it hit you it hurt! Wow! Where could you hope to ever find such fun!

One Tactical sergeant told me one year that "they shut us down; we lost the stage.": the music at the stage couldn't continue since so many beer cans were being thrown. So, the music stopped. The show did not go on.

No real, legitimate bar in their right mind, thinking of liability, would tolerate or allow such behavior--much less allow folks to bring their own beer in. No security consultant worth their salt, I don't think, would recommend such behavior be encouraged.

Of course, with cops working in squads of 1 sergeant with 8-12 officers, and dozens of officers assigned to the infield at one time, they would go in en masse, as a group, and grab trouble makers and escort them thru the infield tunnel and deposit them outside the track where Northwestern personnel would "persuade" them to leave the area. The police on the infield did not have sufficient personnel to make arrests, so unless the "patron" assaulted an officer, he was simply thrown out. Needless to say we weren't surprised when there was the incident when cops removed their badges and name tags and engaged in a bit of use of force.

I suggested, one year, to the high-ranking official of the track--since there was so much concern over the fighting, that they simply forbid bringing in outside drinks, but sell booze themselves. He dismissed my idea (circa 1992) offhand, saying you know, the sports clubs, fraternities, and teams then wouldn't come; however, we will raise the infield price. Oh.

I was also really pleased the Ed Norris, told Pimlico officials, finally: ya gotta deal with the infield yourselves; we're phasing our involvement out.

Last year, I didn't find a video of the infield worth mentioning. I did however, see plenty the year before during the running of the urinals. And it appeared the private security force was a bit over matched, and not really wanting to get into it with these muscled, sweaty steroid-enhanced drunks. We'll see how they do this year.

It's gonna be a busy weekend!

It's Friday again in Baltimore (happens every week!). Hopefully we'll survive, but there are gonna be a lot of issues for our harried police force to deal with, in addition to Preakness Day itself.

Buz noticed that 2 of Peter Hermann's blogs recently got a huge number of comments, compared to other postings he has made. Both concerned attacks on people which were basically unprovoked in highly heretofore nice areas of downtown. First the Inner Harbor, then Mount Vernon, around that fancy bottle club which rents space in the first floor area of the Belvedere Hotel. So, apparently, when the gendarmes beefed up their presence around the harbor (and earlier than that the 'entertainment' district), our young people outflanked them at the Belvedere area.

• So, tonite the Preakness parade will kick off and go along Pratt Street and end at Market Place--just where Iguana Cantina will be having its weekend party for the college folks going back home soon.
  
• And, since the Ultra Lounge at the Belvedere had its Circuit Court appeal over the revocation of its liquor license, and the judge hasn't ruled yet on whether their due process "rights" were violated (who cares about responsibilities?), my guess is the club will be going as strong as ever to make as much moolah (a technical term) as they can before the hammer comes down. So, kids of all ages: come on down and get hammered! This offer is good both on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, if the judge rules against them, they could probably stay open while it goes to the court of Special Appeals [wouldn't want their rights to be violated, would we?].  Depends on how much money they are willing to pay their fancy, schmancy lawyer--of course paying the attorney is sort of a fine in itself.
• And, of course, there is the Preakness itself: a chance of a lifetime, for one to practice open drunkenness, misogynist behavior to the max, risk behavior, and throwing beer cans (oh, they hurt!) at people you may or may not know. Oops, no beer cans this year, guys, unless ya can somehow smuggle them in. Oh, and you can get hammered for only $1 a beer between 8 and 11 am. Betcha, 28-1, that still makes it easy to get drunk by noon. Heh heh. (Not this boy, though).
• Oh, and back to Market Place, where Power Plant Live is having a Preakness substitution event, where the booze will be cheap on Saturday all day (huh; nobody complains when they don't let you bring your coolers in here; like, why not?)
• And the good citizens of Mount Washington are kinda worried that some young drinkers won't get the word, come up to the gate, get refused entrance because of their coolers full of beer, and will decide to tailgate somewhere in the neighborhood. 

Anyway, we hope the police department will have the elite corps of Violent Crime Impact Division put on uniforms, cut their hair, and be out there maintaining order instead of doing street rips and jump-outs; maybe we'll have a bit more peaceful weekend. Here's hoping Laura Vozella will wear her edgiest outfit and go out on the infield and see what's going on and report from the eye of the storm--which is supposed to be much more peaceful this year. We'll see.