Committee Hears Support Behind Special Event Zone Changes; Officials Seek More Tools For Police This Year

Committee Hears Support Behind Special Event Zone Changes; Officials Seek More Tools For Police This Year
A rolling police presence consisting of allied agencies is pictured in a file photo at the height of the ruckus from a pop-up rally. File Photos

OCEAN CITY — The forum was different, but the message was strong and consistent this week as a local delegation testified in Annapolis on proposed legislation strengthening the resort’s motorized special event laws.

Last week, a large contingent from Ocean City testified in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Senate Bill 878, which, among other things, adds the offense of exhibition driving to the original legislation approved by state lawmakers two years ago. Less than a week later, many of those same local delegation members testified in the House Environment and Transportation Committee on sister legislation filed in the House by Delegate Wayne Hartman. The message was clear and concise and delivered with passion for the second time in less than a week.

House Bill 1493 would add the offense of exhibition driving to the existing special event zone legislation. According to the bill’s language, among the offenses under the umbrella of exhibition driving are operating a vehicle in a manner that produces abrupt acceleration or deceleration, skidding, swerving, raucous engine noise, gear grinding or wheels losing contact with the ground. For the first time in the evolution of the special event zone legislation, the potential penalties described in the bill include potential jail time. For example, violations could result in a term of imprisonment not exceeding 60 days, or a fine of $1,000 or both.

After yet another troublesome unsanctioned motorized special event last September, resort officials promised everything was on the table in terms of possible solutions to some of the reckless and wanton activity. The companion bills introduced by Hartman in the House and Senator Mary Beth Carozza in the Senate are part of the larger plan.

For the record, Ocean City’s special event zone is implemented during three motorized special events each year including two that are sanctioned and one that is not. The latter, referenced often as the H2O International event, or H2Oi, is not sanctioned by the town and is largely a social median-driven pop-up event. The official H2Oi event has long since moved to Atlantic City but, fairly or not, the unsanctioned pop-up event in late September is referred to frequently as H2Oi, including during Tuesday’s House committee hearing.

Hartman opened Tuesday’s hearing with a brief history of the original special event zone legislation and why Ocean City’s contingent was back this year seeking to add more tools to the enforcement tool box.

“During the last two years, the intensity of these certain motorized events has increased dramatically for residents, visitors, businesses and law enforcement,” he said. “House Bill 1493 is needed to put an end to the lawless and reckless behavior in Ocean City.”

Like last week’s session in the Senate, Tuesday’s committee meeting in the House included the presentation of a graphic video of the highlights of the unsanctioned event along with hundreds of emails from residents and visitors. Mayor Rick Meehan’s testimony differed slightly from what he presented last week, but the essential message was the same.

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A firework is shot off from a sidewalk during last September’s unsanctioned gathering.

“This unsanctioned event is totally out of control,” he said. “It attracts tens of thousands of cars and hundreds of thousands of spectators. They are not welcome and they only come to terrorize our community.”

In a theme consistent throughout Tuesday’s hearing, Meehan said the current practice of issuing citations and fines to offenders has not proven to be a deterrent and, in many cases, has only fueled the lawlessness. He said that could change with the approval of the enhanced special event zone legislation.

“They only way we’re going to be able to do that is arrest some of the most egregious offenders,” he said. “They wear tickets like badges of honor. We need to be able to make some arrests and impound some vehicles.”

Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro agreed stepped up enforcement under the existing legislation has not achieved the desired results.

“Despite our efforts, the motorists are just getting more and more brazen and more aggressive,” he said. “It’s a recipe for disaster. There’s no doubt about it. We’re struggling to even have an acceptable degree of control.”

It has been frequently pointed out by some the unsanctioned motorized special event in late September does bring business to Ocean City in the shoulder season. However, Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and CEO Melanie Pursel said most businesses would swap any economic benefit for a quieter, safer weekend.

“Our businesses do see an economic impact,” she said. “We see people coming through the doors, we see people staying in hotel rooms and spending money. However, no level of commerce is worth sacrificing the safety of our community and the image of Ocean City. We really need something done. We welcome everyone and we want them to come, we just want them to respect our laws and our community.”

Lobbyist Bruce Bereano, who testified on behalf of Ocean City, acknowledged state lawmakers have other weighty issues on their plate.

“I know and respect that you have enormous and significant other issues to deal with in the closing days of this session,” he said. “We beg you not to go home without passing some additional relief for Ocean City. This is real, it is not exaggerated. What you saw is a sanitized version of what’s really going on.”

Bereano reiterated the recurring theme of traffic citations with fines have not proven to be an effective deterrent.

“We need to give law enforcement other tools than just a paper citation that they just tear up in front of the police and call them every ugliness in the book,” he said. “It’s really totally out of control.”

In response to a question from the committee about the effectiveness of substantial fines, Buzzuro said violators often pay them with no other real consequences than a hit to the wallet.

“A good majority of the participants are from out of state,” he said. “They simply pay the fine and come back again the following year and do it all over again.”

Meehan said the throngs of spectators often step up and help pay offenders with the fines.

“Right now, when we issue a ticket, the bystanders will all come up and throw $20 bills to the offenders,” he said. “It’s really not a deterrent. It’s about the cost of going to the movies.”

Delegate Barrie Ciliberti (R-Frederick and Carroll Counties) effectively summed up what Ocean City was looking for with the enhanced special event zone legislation.

“I’m of the opinion human nature is predictable,” he said. “If you have a $70 fine, that’s not a deterrent, but if you give out a $1,000 fine or $1,500, or pick a number, that’s got to have some impact. If you had a situation where someone got a $1,000 fine and spent 10 days in jail, that has got to have a significant impact. That’s what you’re looking for right?”

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.