And the fallout Begins...Fort Lauderdale Police Overreact Broward Carnival 2007

Tuesday, October 09, 2007 clivia 0 Comments

Fort Lauderdale police overreacted when they called for emergency backup to control crowds at the Broward Caribbean Carnival, event organizers said Monday.

Andy Ansola, president of the organization, said the response Sunday shows how unaccustomed Fort Lauderdale officers are to Caribbean cultural events and signals a need for sensitivity training.

"You have to understand the mind-set of the people," Ansola said. "The people are just there to have a good time. They're not there to create a riot. They're just there to release and be free."

Police said hundreds tried to push their way through a gate in the 5300 block of Northwest 12th Avenue. The emergency call about 6 p.m. almost brought all on-duty officers to the site, but police canceled it once a special unit with crowd control expertise calmed things down.

The incident marks the latest controversy to plague the carnival, held Sunday at the Fort Lauderdale Stadium, where police estimated 20,000 people attended. The event has grown so large that organizers have had difficulty finding a site to accommodate it.

Carnival treasurer John Beckford said the organization paid the city of Fort Lauderdale about $36,000 for police, fire and Emergency Medical Services and spent $20,000 to hire two security companies.

Despite the security presence, police defended the emergency call. It occurred during one of the day's few trouble spots.

"It's a shame that one incident happened, because they were well-behaved," Sgt. Frank Sousa said of the crowd. "Everybody else was nice. We told them to do something, they listened. They were there to have a good time, that's all they wanted to do."

"The bottom line is we're in control, they're not," Sousa said. "That's why we called in the troops."

Ansola said the incident occurred when masquerade bands were going through a special entrance. He said one band alone had 400 people, and police only allowed people into the stadium one at a time.

"The way police were doing it, it sort of aggravated the crowd," he said. "They were sending them in single file, and it wasn't going to work. It got out of hand. People started pushing, and the barrier came down. But it was quickly put back up, and that was the end of the story."

Ansola plans to meet with police officials to suggest they send some officers for training in Trinidad and Tobago, where carnival is king. He said police in New York and Canada have taken that approach.

Sousa said that would not be necessary. "In a perfect world, maybe that would be great," he said. "But we're a professional department. We've worked several large events. I don't think it has anything to do with culture."

Carnival organizers have been trying to find a permanent home for the festival, known for its uninhibited revelry. They said this year's event was successful. But after paying twice the amount for security and trash pickup than in previous years at the city's request, Beckford was disappointed by some of the logistics.

Beckford said he didn't understand why emergency backup was necessary with more than 60 officers on site. He also wanted an explanation for why the fire marshal stopped patrons from entering the stadium at 7:30 p.m. when it was scheduled to end at 11 p.m., allowing organizers to sell only 13,000 of the 20,000 printed tickets.

Ansola said the carnival lost $120,000 as a result.

"We met all of their demands, paid a lot of money, and here it is we have to be begging them to stay open so we can meet our obligations," he said.

Sousa said people were allowed to come all night.

But Arnel Anthony, a bandleader, said his 100-member masquerade band reached the gate at about 6:10 p.m. and police escorted them off the premises.

"We had no choice but to move," said Anthony, who said the group paid $5,000 to participate but wasn't allowed in the venue. "We should be compensated."

Last month, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission agreed to host the carnival at the stadium just weeks before the event and after it had been rejected by the city of Miramar.

Commissioner Christine Teel, whose district includes the stadium, said she heard reports that police were concerned about the number of people. She doesn't support the event coming back next year.

"It was bound to happen because there were just so many people," said Teel, who was opposed to hosting the event. "This isn't any surprise because it's what happened the last couple years."

Staff Writer Brittany Wallman contributed to this report. Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4546.
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