OCEAN CITY – While there was no shortage of arrests made or citations issued during last week’s Endless Summer Cruisin event, it remained far tamer than the annual pop-up rally that typically arrives two weeks earlier but didn’t materialize this year.
Resort and state officials last Tuesday began implementing the special event zone in Ocean City and throughout the resort area in anticipation of the Endless Summer Cruisin event that has arrived each fall for decades. The fall Cruisin event features classic cars, special events and concerts within Ocean City and in other areas around the region.
The special event zone, similar to a highway construction zone, includes stiff penalties for traffic violations, reduced speed limits, altered traffic patterns, and an increased allied law enforcement presence in the resort. It was approved by the General Assembly a few years back, and while it had its genesis in the annual pop-car rally formerly known as H2Oi, it is implemented at different times during motorized special events including the spring and fall Cruisin events.
After the initial legislation was passed three years ago, town officials and their representatives in Annapolis went back to the General Assembly seeking approval of a bill that would add the charge of “exhibition driving” to the original legislation. Exhibition driving covers a variety of violations including burnouts and the spinning of wheels, and while it largely focused on the pop-up car rally, similar behavior is often exhibited during the Cruisin events, particularly the larger spring event.
It’s important to note most of the registered Cruisin event enthusiasts participate in the events sanctioned by the promoters including car shows at the Inlet lot and the convention center, along with drive-in movies, concerts and other amenities and are generally well behaved. However, as with most motorized special events, there is always a large group of hangers-on intent on just riding up and down Coastal Highway and committing many of the violations spelled out in the special event zone legislation.
A look at statistics provided by the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) this week on arrests made, citations issued, calls for service and other key indicators appears to show that was the case last week. It’s also important to note not all of the statistics are related to Cruisin event participants or even its hangers-on.
During the special event zone enforcement, the OCPD reported there were 691 officer-initiated calls for service, and 156 citizen-initiated calls for service, for a total of 847 calls for service over a four-day period. A total of 266 traffic stops were conducted, 399 traffic citations were issued, and 158 traffic warnings were issued. All in all, the OCPD and its allied partners handled 577 total traffic enforcement cases.
There were five collisions reported during the special enforcement zone operation last week and 12 incidents of exhibition driving. There were 31 total arrests last week during the special event zone including eight DUI arrests, five weapons arrests and three drug arrests. There were other serious incidents during the special event zone last week, but again it is not apparent they were related to the fall Cruisin event. OCPD Deputy Communications Director Ashley Miller said this week the special event zone and all it entails continues to achieve the desired results with the motorized special events, including the tamer fall Cruisin event.
“Our officers along with allied law enforcement personnel from the Maryland State Police and Worcester County Sheriff’s Office were out in full force this week,” she said. “The Endless Summer Cruisin event was well-attended.”
Miller reiterated generally speaking participants in the fall Cruisin event come to the resort to view the classic cars and not to wreak some of the same havoc other events bring.
“Our officers remained proactive and handled several exhibition driving incidents,” she said. “We did not really see any residual pop-up participants. The majority of the car enthusiasts in town were here to participate or view the vehicles participating in the Endless Summer Cruisin event.”
