‘Zero tolerance’ of open containers at city’s most popular event
Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel
According to Eureka Police Department sergeant Patrick O’Neill, Arts Alive! is a nuisance to be cracked down on.
Late last night, EPD put out word that a new policy would be inflicted on the city’s most successful public arts and music event, held the first Saturday of every month in Old Town — and the impetus was a couple of juvenile delinquents who were caught in an intoxicated state.
At about 8:38 p.m. last night, the cops were sweeping the Boardwalk when they came upon several juveniles, two of whom were taken into custody due to their apparent intoxication and possession of booze and pot. They were taken to EPD and cited before being released to related adults.
EPD claims there are rising complaints of such ‘nuisance complaints’ during Arts Alive! including vandalism and physical fights. Although they didn’t point to any direct evidence of this from prior events, the police claim that a single fight broken up Saturday night justified this characterization. At about 9:07 p.m., cops once more on the Boardwalk found several subjects brawling in front of a crowd of about 20 spectators — with zero arrests made.
“In an attempt to curb this increasing problem, the Eureka Police Department will be continuing its enforcement efforts and also taking a zero tolerance stance for alcohol related offences [sic] (open containers, possession of alcohol by juveniles, public intoxication, etc),” O’Neill stated in a release.
EPD also made sure to note that parents ought to know where their children are, what they’re doing, and why they shouldn’t drink.
Well, it is a well know fact that every young person caught with an open container ends up a harden criminal, right?
WRONG
I’m hoping somebody takes action against the gateway mind-drug that leads to Gestapo mind-set. That being television cop fantasy shows.
Well, discouraging the consumption of mind-rotting, spirit-crushing megacorp television would be a good start.
It’s the same mindset that says if one out of a hundred welfare recipients abuse the system then it is just best to punish all users equally or even better yet shut it down. It is the same mindset that says if a terrorist detonates a bomb costing some lives we should restructure our entire society and clamp down on the freedoms of all people.
Of course these are just justifications. The real reason is always to expand control of the ruling class and diminish the power of the people.
A whole lot of folks in Old Town are making money off Arts Alive! I would hope that sales tax revenue alone would provide some support for increased enforcement if it’s really needed. I have to assume that there’s some other folks who aren’t feeling the benefit of this ongoing event and would rather have the revenue in other hands.