Two weeks after brawling teens turned Havre de Grace?s Independence Day celebration into a small-scale riot, the City Council concluded the carnival may have outgrown the small town?s ability to police and control it.
Only three or four officers from the Havre de Grace Police Department were patrolling a crowd of thousands July 2, when fights broke out in the final hours of the annual carnival and Independence Day celebration, said Councilman Garrett Lyttle. Communication between officers on the ground and police at the station was spotty and hindered by noise, and the crowd was far too large to control, he said.
“There were estimates of 10,000 people in the park the night of July 2, and a few social misfits were able to cause problems for everyone there,” Lyttle said.
Shortly after the fireworks ended, fights started in four different locations on the carnival grounds at Millard E. Tydings Park. The crowd reacted violently to police closing the park, attacking a police dog and injuring two deputies from the Sheriff?s Office. Approximately 60 officers from surrounding jurisdictions had to be brought in to subdue the crowd.
The council recommended that for 2007, the carnival either be downsized at Tydings or moved to a larger venue, and that the carnival be held on a different day than the parade and fireworksto reduce the crowds. The council also recommended that police take a greater role in planning the carnival and providing security for the festivities. Van Gilder said officers may be given earbud-style radios next year to help them communicate over the din of the carnival.
Councilman James Miller felt the council?s report placed too much blame on the police, who were overburdened by the crush of the crowd.
Citizens at the meeting were split over the cost of implementing the changes.
A public hearing is set for 7 p.m. July 31 to allow more citizens to weigh in on the disturbance and the recommendations.
