Very, very bad idea.
OC COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON PUBLIC DRINKING
Fri, 05/02/2008 - 00:30
#1
Sat, 05/03/2008 - 14:35
#2
Tue, 05/06/2008 - 18:10
#3
Kds53098;25128 wrote:
I'd honestly feel bad for high school seniors if this passes. If this passes, everytime a young person walks down the Boardwalk with a soda, a cop will stop them and inspect it.
Well, I for one am confused, maybe I'm reading this wrong or something, but the way I see it - any officer can already do this now. This proposal is lightening up the law not making it more stringent. Unless your fear is that cops are just going to hand out these citations out to inocent people? I
I for one wish they would do MORE search an seizures. I've noticed more and more young people out of control on the boardwalk every year when I visit OC. There is a message that these people need to hear loud and clear, and in the past few years I can tell you from my own experiences on the boardwalk - they are NOT getting the message at all, AND lets be honest here, the cops are not going to stop every kid with pop to see if there is only pepsi in there. They are going to target the ones who are making ass's out of themselfs. If you are behaving normal, they are not going to just randomly stop you. The only people this effects are people drawing attention to themselfs, and if your clean, and nothing on you then you don't have a problem. Simple as that.
You may feel bad for these highschool seniors, but I feel bad for my wife and I, and my soon to be 5yr old. when we have to walk through a crowd of them using the F- word and saying the most vulgar things to the girls walking by. Maybe if they thought the cops were watching them a little closer they would be less inclined to act like animals.
Tue, 05/06/2008 - 18:30
#4
DeanM;25158 wrote:
You may feel bad for these highschool seniors, but I feel bad for my wife and I, and my soon to be 5yr old. when we have to walk through a crowd of them using the F- word and saying the most vulgar things to the girls walking by. Maybe if they thought the cops were watching them a little closer they would be less inclined to act like animals.
I could not agree with your observation more. We now carefully plan when and when it is not safe to be on the boardwalk with our family, particularly at night on the weekend. Please email the Mayor and OC Police Dept asking for more police presence on the boardwalk. The pack animal behavior is always reduced when there is a statistically visible display of law enforcement.
In addition to completely unsolicited verbal harrassment of young women, we have witnessed aggressive threats and outbreaks of scattered violence. These next few years will be telling times for OC. Unfortunately, bureaucracies historically react to problems only well after they have had a significant negative impact. Those of us who love OC have to keep repeating the message when we have the opportunity. I'm really surprised the OC government hasn't figured it out for themselves that it is in everyone's best interests to preserve the family resort reputation.
Wed, 05/07/2008 - 10:34
#5
Hmmm drinking in public, what will they think of next?!?!?! Oh I know, sleeping on the boards all night and maybe public sex. Good Greif, lets give these kids that run in "packs" permission to drink on the board so we can inhance "violence". This is amazing. I live in NY where everything goes, so to speak, but we still can't drink or carry a beer or any alcoholic beverage in public. This action is just asking for trouble. I'm no prude....I enjoy having a beer or a mixed drink, but this is silly.:(
Wed, 05/07/2008 - 15:52
#6
psalm;25164 wrote:
Hmmm drinking in public, what will they think of next?!?!?! Oh I know, sleeping on the boards all night and maybe public sex. .:(
Public Sex? no.... that was 2 years ago. We were walking up the boards and there was a crowd of kids gathering around while this couple did IT right there in the sand while the others stood around and cheered them on!
:eek: nice huh???
Yes, I did tell the police.:cool:
Wed, 05/07/2008 - 20:34
#7
"Unless your fear is that cops are just going to hand out these citations out to inocent people?"
Dean, that is my fear. I have no problem with cops stopping the "June Bugs" if they're roudy and out of control. But I could see and group of guys walking around with bottles of Coke Zero being stopped on the Boardwalk.
I'd rather see them stop the ones who act like complete asses.
Thu, 05/08/2008 - 16:31
#8
Kds53098;25181 wrote:
Dean, that is my fear. I have no problem with cops stopping the "June Bugs" if they're roudy and out of control. But I could see and group of guys walking around with bottles of Coke Zero being stopped on the Boardwalk.
....and so IF they are stopped, and are found only too be drinking "Coke Zero" , then what harm was done???:confused:
Fri, 05/09/2008 - 07:59
#9
Sun, 05/11/2008 - 18:23
#10
DeanM;25203 wrote:
....and so IF they are stopped, and are found only too be drinking "Coke Zero" , then what harm was done???:confused:
Nothing more than giving up another RIGHT. If you're confused about it ask a veteran, they can expalin it best.
__________________
OC Condo for rent, Email me!
Check out www.kentislandcruisers.com
OC council will vote on public drinking
By Brian Shane • Staff Writer • April 30, 2008
OCEAN CITY -- For now, you can still get arrested in Ocean City for having an open container of alcohol in public -- but that may soon change.
The Town Council will consider changing Ocean City's long-standing open container law from an arrestable offense to a municipal infraction carrying no more weight than a parking ticket. A proposed version of the law says offenders caught with booze in public get a written police citation and a $200 fine. If they pay within 48 hours, the fine drops to $100.
In a 6-1 vote, the council green-lit the proposal at its work session Tuesday, with only Councilwoman Margaret Pillas opposed. Pillas cited letters of strong opposition from Worcester County States Attorney Joel Todd and Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino.
Councilman Jay Hancock, a former Ocean City policeman, called the vote "overdue." He believes some police officers might abuse the law, using it as an excuse to search people or "victimize" them.
"It's used to jack up people on the street for the purposes of search and seizure," he said.
For more than a year, open-container enforcement has been discussed by the town's Police Commission, which includes Councilmen Hancock, Jim Hall and Lloyd Martin and Mayor Rick Meehan.
Capt. Mike Colbert, who addressed the council, said teens age 18 and younger comprise 70 percent of open-container arrests, and they're typically always on the Boardwalk at night. He added that ages 19 to 29 make up 19 percent of arrests, 11 percent are 30 or older. Police arrested 444 people last year for open container violations.
Colbert said if all officers followed the letter of the law, then anyone caught with an open container gets arrested. But officers are encouraged to use discretion, sometimes simply letting someone off with a warning, just as they would in a traffic stop.
DiPino has said during Police Commission meetings that officers are not told to make arrests for the purpose of increasing statistics, and asked that officers be allowed wide discretion on deciding arrests versus citations.
The draft legislation will come up for a vote at Monday's council meeting, Meehan said.
410-213-9442, Ext. 14