cooler heads prevail
Cramped capacity concerns cluless cops. Command compromises, consequently cancelling cumbersome cooler canon.
Community chronicle clarifies cooler complication:
Tags: gasparilla, law enforcement, tampaTAMPA - The cooler problem had police momentarily flummoxed as the Gasparilla Parade got under way Saturday.
Earlier in the week, police put out the word that ice chests would be prohibited from the parade route for safety reasons.
At 10:20 a.m. an officer, mindful that coolers were, at least technically, prohibited along the parade route, called for a clarification. The officer radioed in and asked what to do about them.
“No coolers,” the dispatcher replied. “Repeat, no coolers.”
What are they supposed to do, he asked. They can’t confiscate the coolers.
“You are to advise paradegoers that coolers are not allowed on the parade route,” the dispatcher said.
“Do we make them take ‘em back or what?” the officer asked.
The dispatcher wasn’t sure. She called the command post.
“Go ahead,” the command center said.
Over the radio, the dispatcher heaved a deep sigh. “There’s a question in reference to coolers,” she said.
Officers are supposed to advise people that coolers are forbidden, she explained, “but they can’t take them away. What are officers to do, sir?”
Command said it would get back to her.
Moments later, word went out that coolers, for the most part, were cool.
Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin later explained: “We’re not confiscating coolers.”
The police would deal with them on a case-by-case basis, and require people to take them back to their cars or homes if they contained prohibited items, such as glass containers, although baby food would be all right.
The parade rolled on.
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January 30th, 2006 at 9:45 am
Seriously, don’t cops have far more important things to worry about than whether Gasparilla goers have coolers in their possession? I’d hate to think what would have happened if somebody had been in serious trouble and an officer had to choose between helping that person or properly disposing of a confiscated cooler.
Anyone who sees this as getting one over on The Man is mistaken. TPD still gave out lots of parking tickets to people who evidently think they can do whatever the hell they want at Gasparilla. So the cops are still in charge!