Ocean City Police thank the public after an uneventful College Beach Weekend
The Ocean City Police Department is reporting an almost uneventful College Beach Weekend event and they are thanking residents, visitors, business owners for their support and cooperation in what they call a true community effort to keep Ocean City safe this past weekend.
As citizens have noticed, there were a lot of police officers around this past weekend, specifically on the boardwalk. O.C.P.D officers were helped by the Maryland State Police and Worcester County Sheriff's Office as a precautionary measure to make sure that police were prepared for any isolated incidents that may have happened.
From Thursday, July 20, through Sunday, July 23, officers responded to a total of over 3,000 calls for service, 81 percent of which were started by officers. Police say that the numbers show that citizens made very few calls to police throughout the weekend.
Police say that the success of the weekend can be credited in large part to the business community and property owners. Business owners were reportedly quick to address large crowds or unruly behavior on their property by helping police stay ahead of possible issues. Condominium owners that had large parties form in their units also reportedly acted fast to move out problem tenants.
Chief Ross Buzzuro says, "We would not have seen such success this weekend without the help of the business community and property owners. Many were able to address potential issues without police assistance allowing our officers to concentrate on the boardwalk and other public spaces in town."
Many hotel and restaurant owners also helped in the effort by providing lodging and meals to visiting M.S.P troopers. Their hospitality lets M.S.P send more help without the added cost of hotel rooms and meals. Ocean City Police says that they greatly appreciate the efforts of the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association for helping in the effort.
Chief Ross Buzzuro says, "The visitors that came to Ocean City for College Beach Weekend were very respectful to the town and of our laws and ordinances."
Police say that the promoters of the event, however, misled several businesses to try to hold private parties, all of which canceled the agreement when the business owners found out about events being promoted at their property. Ticket holders for College Beach Weekend were also reportedly misled by the College Beach Weekend promoters, as many of the planned events did not have confirmed locations or never materialized at all.
