Officials Pledge To Continue Vigilance For Future Pop-Up Weekends

Officials Pledge To Continue Vigilance For Future Pop-Up Weekends
A Maryland State Police trooper is pictured Sept. 24 in Ocean City speaking with a motorist. Photo by Jim Halvorsen

OCEAN CITY — With last month’s pop-up car rally in the rear-view mirror, resort officials and citizens had an opportunity to weigh in on the event with all agreeing it was tamer than recent years.

Two weekends ago, the Town of Ocean City, its police department and its allied agencies and the community were bracing for another raucous unsanctioned pop-up car rally and the reckless behavior and destruction it often brings. The special event zone was in place, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and hundreds of allied law enforcement officers from other agencies were on duty and the town’s enhanced towing ordinance was in effect among other initiatives. There were fewer participants on the town’s roadways over the weekend, and despite some significant hassles at times, there were fewer major crimes, including assaults on officers.

Statistically, a breakdown showed significant drop-offs in calls for service, arrests, citations, tows and almost every other category compared to the same weekend in 2020. The drop-offs were even more significant in pre-COVID 2019, when five-year peaks were reached in most categories.

The Mayor and Council met in a work session just a couple of days after the pop-up car rally in late September without making any comments. Near the close of Monday’s regular Mayor and Council meeting, elected officials and members of the public took the opportunity to weigh in on the successes two weekends ago.

“I just want to thank all of the law enforcement that was in town,” said Council President Matt James. “We’ve heard about it a little bit tonight. Last weekend went very well. I think the efforts that law enforcement have made over the last two years seem to be working.”

However, James said there was no time for atta boys and pats on the backs and the town must stay the course in its planning and implementation for the unsanctioned event going forward.

“I agree we should not let up anytime soon,” he said. “We need to keep an eye on it at least another year or two to make sure we have everything under control.”

Mayor Rick Meehan said he has heard murmurs throughout the community in the weeks following the event about the enforcement and compliance successes this year compared to previous years.

“It has been talked about throughout the community and the success we had two weekends ago and how much better everything was,” he said. “It was a culmination of about four years’ worth of work and a lot of people should be thanked for that. Thanks to the motor vehicle task force, the governor’s office, all of the state agencies, our allied agencies and, of course, our police department for continuing to put a good plan in place and being able to execute that plan.”

The town’s elected officials and leaders have taken heat in the past over the perceived handling of the pop-up car rally. On Monday, Meehan praised the private sector for its role in the enforcement efforts, but also for being patient while all elements of the plan came together.

“We really need to thank our citizens for being patient and allowing us some time,” he said. “We made a promise we were moving in the right direction and they had patience and supported the town and supported the council and all of the law enforcement agencies.”

Like James, Meehan said now was not the time to let the town’s collective guard down.

“We’re going to continue to be vigilant and do what we need to do to maintain that level of compliance and maybe even improve on it,” he said.

Before the Mayor and Council could be heard on the pop-up event, a handful of private citizens took their turn. Local resident Martin Brannigan praised the town’s plan for the event and thanked the allied law enforcement for being on the front lines during the pop-up rally.

“I want to acknowledge and praise the planning and implementation of crowd control last weekend,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise. I know the police are an easy target. It’s easy to have a cell phone stuck in your face and have to worry about a syllable being taken the wrong way. I just want to say it’s appreciated what the police were able to accomplish.”

Ocean City Fire Department spokesman and Local IAFF 4269 President Ryan Whittington said worked most of the pop-up weekend in various capacities and also praised the town for its planning.

“I’d like to compliment the Mayor and Council on your planning and organization for the pop-up car rally,” he said. “Not only did I have the opportunity to work in the joint information center and see some of you there with us in the early morning hours, but also the planning that went into it at the local level, and the state level with the special event zone.”

Whittington agreed the statistics from pop-up car rally weekend bore out the successes of the various plans in place.

“We looked at the 911 calls and they were nowhere close to where they have been in years past,” he said. “This council has always put public safety first. I still think we have to come with a heavy hand next year to let them know we mean business. It wasn’t only appreciated by the residents, but on behalf of the firefighters, paramedics, and the fir fire marshal’s, I thank you for all of the planning that went into that.”

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.