A drive through City Park turned into a harrowing experience for Larry Lubas.
The Bern Township man told City Council last week that he was heading through the park toward Washington Street when his car was stopped and surrounded by motorbikes and all-terrain vehicles of various types.
“People were staring at me,” he said, noting he employed a tip from his father, a retired police officer. “(I) just stared at my dashboard.”
After about 10 minutes, Lubas said, he was able to pass on the left and proceed westward through the city.
“There were hundreds of people in the park, disobeying every rule possible,” he said. “And there were no police there present.”
Numerous people were blaring music from their vehicles, he said, referring to the gathering as a social-media flash event.
“I called 911 because I was in fear for my life,” he said. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Lubas said he has heard of similar events in other cities where groups of bikers have smashed autos.
He was disappointed, he said, when the city dispatcher told him the police department is aware of the problem but is grossly understaffed and was unable to do anything at that time.
“I really was the most scared I ever was in my entire life,” he said. “And I’m 63 years old.”
Lubas was not the only one to complain about the raucous weekend gatherings in the park.
Councilman Jaime Baez Jr. said he received some calls regarding the gathering April 21 and went to the park to investigate.
“It was, in fact, total chaos with over 200 cars, over 75 motorcycles and ATVs,” he said, “and it was very concerning to see that it wasn’t an organized event with permits.”
Baez also discussed the problem at a previous council meeting in April.
He saw people driving over the grass and drinking alcohol in the park, he said, noting such behavior poses a danger to children and families playing in the park and on the playground.
“As a Latino, I know what it’s like for Latinos to want to gather together, party and have a good time,” he said. “But I think that there’s a way it needs to be done, and what I saw on Sunday was complete chaos and I was very disappointed.”
Baez said he understands policing gatherings with over 300 people can pose a danger to the officers.
“We have to strike a balance and definitely find a solution,” he said. “I’m open to conversations and hopefully working collaboratively with our police officers and our managing director.”
Illegal problem gatherings of this type are difficult to predict because they are often organized using social media, city managing Director William Heim said at the meeting.
Police Chief Eli Vazquez has put together a detail of officers responsible for dealing with such gatherings, Heim said.
Vazquez spoke about the problem at a recent public meeting organized by Councilman O. Christopher Miller for residents and business owners in District 6.
“We’re paying attention to that on social media,” Vazquez said. “That’s intelligence gathering. We also need all of you to give us that information, to be our eyes and ears.”
Vazquez also addressed the problem of unlicensed vehicles and reckless driving on the streets.
“We’re working hard,” he said, referring to the department’s recent social media post regarding the patrol division’s effort to corral and detain a group of ATVs in the city’s southwest area. Seven vehicles were towed and 19 citations were issued, according to the post.
City police confiscated another two dirt bikes and arrested a pair of riders after separate vehicle pursuits on consecutive days this week.
Pursuits can be dangerous, Vazquez noted at the council meeting.
“I get that,” he said.
But changing the city’s pursuit policy could pose further dangers, he said, noting he learned from experience while serving with the Tampa, Fla., police department.
“We had that pursuit policy and took it away,” Vazquez said. “And it was like the wild, wild west.”
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment