Dallas police makes changes regarding Lower Greenville St. Patrick’s celebration

We can, absolutely, insist that this event be denied. We have every right to insist upon denial, and we have more evidence than required, all of it in the public record. So, do not feel any need to compromise or accept halfway solutions. This will get us another year of the status quo. This event is a serious threat to the public health, safety, and welfare. It should be denied, period.



The bottom line: The event promoters must fund the total bill for the ***literally hundreds*** of enforcement personnel that will be needed to



1) ensure DWI/DUI enforcement for thousands of drunk people, most driving cars



2) uphold of all city codes to the letter regarding non-vehicular intoxication/consumption violations



3) uphold the Section 30 Noise Ordinance, again, to the letter, which is unequivocal...

* Conducted a survey of resident opinions [Each neighborhood was asked to survey their residents on a list of questions proffered by the DPD. We don't have all the answers, but one chart showed by a 2:1 ratio, the residents did not agree that the event should be canceled]

* An increase of 20 additional officers for neighborhood patrols north of Belmont

* “No Parking” signs extended further into neighborhood (east and west, north and south) [Signs will be installed on a streets south of Belmont that were not protected in prior years, mostly in the BelmontNA area. This - and new Resident Parking Only zones - will reduce parking significantly in the area]

* “Respect the Neighborhood” signs will be posted near the entry gates and shuttle staging area [No information as to who will post the signs]

* “Don’t Drink and Drive” signs posted at shuttle staging area [see above]

* One squad of motorcycle officers to assist with traffic control [Way cool]

* One DWI squad [Way cooler]

* Dallas Sheriff Office’s Breathalyzer Unit [Off to cooler you go]

* TABC/Fire Inspectors on site [to monitor maximum occupancy limits in party cage; in six years of parties, no one ever measured the square footage or checked for adequate emergency exits]

* Two DART Officers at Mockingbird Station [no alcoholic beverages on the shuttle busses]

* Dedicated police dispatcher [every year we hear this one, and every year we are told when we call 9-1-1, You are not getting any special treatment]

* Staging of five wreckers [faster response time on illegal parking]

* Code Enforcement officers will be on site [this should be fun to watch]

* Parking Enforcement Officers will be on site [they will work with the wreckers and DPD]

* Increased height of fencing in critical areas [this may make it more difficult to sneak in]

* Cab Stands on north and south ends of Greenville Ave [can we suggest the Blockbuster parking lot?]

* A thorough informational flyer for residents [no information on who is distributing this packet; BD says - Let the bars pay for it!]

* Additional port-o-lets, especially at shuttle drop-off/pick-up



A few points not listed in the original email but discussed during the meetings...

* No Parking Signs [The bars hosting the party will pay for the signs and their assembly, but the neighborhood associations north of Belmont still have to put them in. This was not what many of us were saying at the meetings, and we asked for a clarification. For neighborhoods south of Belmont, a DPD Explorer Post will be doing the sign installations]

* DPD will have command and control of all officers at the party and south of Belmont [in prior years, the bars controlled their officers]

* The DPD officers hired by the bars will be on-site until 3 a.m. [Last year, the bars dismissed their officers at 2am; they also dismissed the Emergency Medical Services hours before the agreed upon time, and that is not going to happen again]

* DPD along with Dallas Fire Rescue will monitor the party crowd within the fencing. The same strategies that were used last year controlling ingress will be utilized.

* There are only about 6-10 bars in the Lowest Greenville area working together to pay for the additional 20 officers for the surrounding neighborhood. This is not a done deal and there is a contingency plan in place to insure that staffing occurs. The towing and parking enforcement strategies will be the same as utilized for the party event [More drunks were arrested south of Belmont last year than anywhere else]

* Closing time for the party is non-negotiable - your booth will be run over by mounted officers [last year, many vendors refused to shut down their booths]

* Private towing services for the Blockbuster and Taco Cabana parking lots will be on-site starting at 8am Saturday morning, so don't even think of parking there.