Police Agencies Partner On OC Weekend Enforcement

OCEAN CITY — Despite the cancellation of the formal H2O International car show in the resort area this weekend, there was plenty of evidence many of the participants of the planned event came to Ocean City anyway this week and local police are ready.

H2Oi officials announced two weeks ago the fall 2017 event scheduled for this weekend had been postponed over venue issues and other logistical problems. The official H2Oi event for years has been hosted by the Fort Whaley campground west of Berlin, but unofficially, the annual event takes place along Coastal Highway.

The announcement that the formal event at Fort Whaley had been cancelled this year has apparently not dampened the enthusiasm for would-be attendees both online and in reality.

By early this week, there was no shortage of evidence that H2Oi enthusiasts were in the area, judging by the increased number of tricked-out Volkswagens and Audis, for example, racing up and down the streets in the resort. By mid-week, the number of unofficial attendees began to swell as evidenced by the number of large groups of spectators camped out in beach chairs along the highway. By Wednesday afternoon, more than a few flashing Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) lights were seen along Coastal Highway pulling over H2Oi enthusiasts for a variety of traffic law violations.

The annual H2Oi event is one local law enforcement officials and residents expect to be the most troublesome for good reason. In years past, the event has been associated with heavy traffic, numerous incidents and violations and, in some cases, wanton disregard for the town’s ordinances.

As is the case with most of the resort’s motorized special events, sanctioned or otherwise, the OCPD is fully staffed and prepared for the unsanctioned H2Oi along with allied law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.

OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro said during Wednesday’s strategic planning sessions the department was fully prepared for the arrival of the H2Oi enthusiasts despite the cancellation of the formal events at Fort Whaley.

“We have a full complement of personnel working this week and throughout the weekend and our allied agencies are assisting us as usual,” he said. “The established event has been cancelled, but they’re coming anyway and we’ve seen a lot of the activity already.”

Buzzuro essentially said the OCPD and its allied partners are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

“We’re out there in full force,” he said. “That’s scalable, so if we see a drop off or not as many come as expected, that enforcement level can be adjusted. They’re on the ropes a little with the formal event being cancelled, but we’re going to strictly enforce our traffic laws and ordinances and write citations.”

The official event in years’ past has been billed essentially as a car show featuring Volkswagens and Audis, for example, but as is the case with most of the vehicle-related special events, an in-kind number of hangers-on cause a disproportionate amount of the trouble. The H2Oi event has been based at Fort Whaley and is not sanctioned by the Town of Ocean City, but because of the resort’s close proximity to event headquarters, along with the countless hotel rooms, restaurants, bars and other amenities, most of the action, sanctioned or otherwise, takes place in Ocean City.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.