Due to an image being portrayed by the media, three observers who originally registered to participate decided against doing so due to their family me

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1 City of Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission Beach Weekend Observer Team Recap of Observations at the Oceanfront (16-25 th Streets) April 25-27, 2014 Since the early 1990 s, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has been observing the Oceanfront activities during major holiday weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. After Beach Weekend 2013, the Virginia Beach Police Department inquired if the HRC would observe Beach Weekend The HRC accepted and welcomed the observation request but wanted to provide citizens an opportunity to partner in civic engagement. The HRC reached out to the community and received twenty interested citizens to add to the pool of observers. The initial observers included three members of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and seventeen citizens with diverse backgrounds, experiences, age, gender and race. The mission of this team was to serve as welcoming ambassadors for the citizens and visitors to the Oceanfront during Beach Weekend by providing general information; observing City services; and assessing the atmosphere with regards to safety, friendliness as well as any signs of discrimination. The observations were submitted in both written and verbal form and this report reflects the compiled information to include recommendations. It is the opinion of the observers that the media coverage leading up to this weekend projected a negative message. Some of the observers were expecting to encounter an armed camp atmosphere. The local television and newspaper interviews provided the appearance that the City came from the place of we are prepared instead of a message that welcomed visitors and guests. The City posted a news release on Wednesday, April 23 at 5:00 pm titled: Visiting the Virginia Beach Oceanfront? Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Yourself which provided a link to the VBInsider, a source for basic information one would need for visiting the Oceanfront. This document is an excellent resource for all of our visitors. However, two observers attempted to access VBInsider on their cell phones both on Friday and Saturday evenings and were unable to open the document. 1

2 Due to an image being portrayed by the media, three observers who originally registered to participate decided against doing so due to their family members not being comfortable with the projected images and being extremely concerned for their safety. On Friday (4/25) evening at 9:45 pm, eleven observers gathered at the 19 th Street South Parking Lot for a briefing. The observers were uniformed in white t-shirts, donated by the Convention Visitor Bureau, as well as a City ID card, prior to taking to the streets at 10 pm. The rain and wind on this evening caused the crowds to be sparse but a large volume of people gathered in the hotels, which were 100% occupied. Around 11:30 pm, observers noticed more people were coming out on Atlantic Avenue and some people appeared to be intoxicated but most were just having fun in a peaceful manner. Many of the businesses and restaurants were already closed or getting ready to close. The employees of some businesses told the observers they were scheduled to close. The observers visited hotels and were told by hotel personnel that many parties were being hosted in the hotel rooms, and it appeared underage drinking was taking place in the hotels. The observers walked the Boardwalk and could attest to the large crowds of people in the hotel rooms and balconies. There were shouts out to people on the Boardwalk inviting them to a specific room number for a party. The observers commented that this was typical behavior for college-aged students but had concerns for their safety. The observers spoke to students to learn which colleges they were from and noticed some were hesitant to share this information. The observers were able to learn that some visitors had come from Maryland, Richmond and even California. The police presence was appropriate for the number of people at the Oceanfront on this night. On Saturday (4/26), fourteen observers arrived at 9:45 pm for a briefing before starting their shift at 10 pm. It was obvious that the population at the Oceanfront had significantly increased compared to Friday evening. It was a beautiful Virginia Beach evening mid 70 s. The foot traffic picked up considerably on Atlantic Avenue but was sparse on the Boardwalk. The environment consisted of a large group of young adults, who were having fun and perhaps happy to be away from supervision. It appeared some people were intoxicated. Many were meeting up with their friends who they hadn t seen in a while and just having a good time. The overall dress attire was appropriate; however, a few appeared to dress differently than they would allow their 2

3 parents to see. In the opinion of some observers, some female outfits were very provocative and appeared to be dressed in night club attire. The language was foul at times and comments from males to females were a little unsettling to hear and raised some safety concerns for females. The sidewalks of Atlantic Avenue were overcrowded (shoulder to shoulder) which caused people to accidently bump into one another. This happened often but for the most part, people were well mannered by saying excuse me or I m sorry. Most people were well-behaved and enjoying themselves and of course with any event with this number of people you are going to have incidents. When these incidents occurred, the police would quickly remove violators who threatened to disturb other people. When people would stop to congregate on the sidewalks, the police would ask them politely to continue to move. This was very effective and was an essential method needed to manage the crowd just like the methods used to manage the traffic control. Due to the large number of people, the trash cans were full to capacity by 10:30 pm but by midnight the cans on Atlantic Avenue were emptied. After midnight, the trash cans on Atlantic Avenue were filled with trash which was unavoidable with the number of people utilizing this space. We believe part of this problem occurred because many visitors were purchasing food at the convenience stores instead of restaurants. Many businesses were closed or closed early which added to the volume of walkers on the sidewalks of Atlantic Avenue. It was unclear if many of the businesses were closed because the official summer schedule doesn t typically begin until Memorial Day or if businesses chose not to open their business on this particular weekend. There were a couple of pizza and sandwich stores (philly cheese steaks) open who planned to close early; however they remained open due to high demand until the sandwich store ran out of the sandwich wrappers and bags. Again, since many of the restaurants were closed or closed early the availability of food was not readily available. This was very frustrating for the observers and visitors. It was stated by an observer that this was an embarrassment; with the thought that you invite someone to your home you usually ensure there is food available for your guests which is Hospitality 101. The lack of food availability gave the perception that the restaurant owners didn t want to host the visitors during the evening but on the other hand the hotels took reservations which equaled a lot of lodging revenues from thousands of visitors during their stay. The observers believe this issue of distasteful hospitality needs to be addressed. The 3

4 observers recommended that if the restaurant owners are not scheduled to open during this time of the year or if they chose not to be open for business during Beach Weekend that perhaps the City would consider a special food vendor permit for carts or trucks for this event which would accommodate the availability of food. This would be cost effective for the age population and would bring revenue for the City. Adding, there would need to be additional trash receptacles and disposal to manage the disposal material from these types of food services. The convenience stores and gas stations were open and had security guards at the entrance ways. They would allow five people at a time in the store to purchase items from their stores. A couple of observers noticed security guards were showing favoritism on letting people into the store which in return caused some foul language and flared tempers since many people had to wait a while outside before they could enter the store. The Haunted House on 25 th Street welcomed visitors and stated they were staying open to serve the visitors. Observers were told ticket sells were good at this location. By 11 pm, the clubs on Atlantic Avenue were filled to capacity which caused people to have to wait on the sidewalk until someone left before the security/bouncer would allow another person in the club. This caused a bottleneck on the sidewalks in which police officers had to interact to keep the pedestrian flow moving. Observers were happy to see that the security/bouncers for the clubs were being safe and perhaps following Fire Code. Observers wondered if there were any clubs for people less than 21 years of age and were told Peabody s on 20 th Street. The Virginia Beach Police Department was well represented and led by Police Chief James Cervera and Deputy Chief Tony Zucaro. They are to be commended for their excellent leadership on the weekend s well-crafted security plan, for walking the streets themselves to see the whole picture, and for welcoming our visitors to the City. Observers witnessed a group of police chaplains who were actively engaging visitors on Atlantic Avenue. It was commented that having the State Police presence gave the impression of importance. Most observers agreed that the large police presence made a difference to people, especially young people who needed to feel safe. To have such protection and presence can deter some off limit behavior. It was great to see young officers and veteran officers 4

5 patrolling the streets. The yellow vests worn by the VBPD allowed everyone to see how many police officers were available and made it easy to locate them. The officers body language and vocal directions demonstrated they were in public safety mode versus a riot control mode. For most of the observers, this was excellent visual presence and a very positive message; however, a couple of observers observed the VBPD physical stances as being threating, heavy-handed and unwelcoming. The decision to have no riot gear (helmet, shield or phalanxes) assisted with creating an atmosphere of peace for all visitors. There was very limited siren noise (mostly around 17 th /Artic/Pacific) due to traffic jams; officers used mostly flashing lights for safety concerns and traffic control. The constant overflight of the VBPD Helicopter was unsettling. To most people, a police helicopter hovering or circling around only means trouble. This noise was pretty constant no matter what block you were on. As a person walking down the street it made them concerned over what was going on. It was suggested by a former Navy Seal/retired Rear Admiral that perhaps the helicopter could have flown in a higher orbit, or flown over every so often and/or have been on standby at a local site or even at the Oceana Naval Base. Again, not knowing all of the reasons for the helicopter presence in the overall security plan, but as an observer it was quite striking. The VBPD Mounted Police were terrific. They were visible to the crowd while being very interactive and engaging with the crowd. Many of the visitors stopped to look at the horses and converse with the police officers. These officers were noted as being very welcoming and friendly. A college student observer wanted to especially give a shout out to the following officers for being extremely friendly and helpful even though they were extremely busy - Sgt. Jay Beasley, MPO Jennifer L. Van Note, MPO Jonathan F. Midgett, MPO Shawn G. Aitken and Officer Tricia J. Shelton. The roads were heavily populated by vehicular traffic but it was evident that the VBPD Traffic Operations had excellent traffic control plans to keep the vehicles moving on Atlantic Avenue and redirecting traffic to Pacific and Baltic Avenues. There were ample dedicated resources to ensure this effort was successful and safety measures were in place to include police vehicles with lights and officers with vest and flashlights. This was a continuous effort throughout the weekend. Traffic was rerouted away from the Oceanfront for a very short period of time on Saturday evening. A couple of the 2 nd shift observers were rerouted to the Lynnhaven exit where they took Virginia Beach Boulevard to reach the Oceanfront. The Police Department did an excellent job 5

6 preparing citizens and visitors by providing a news release (on Friday, April 25) explaining the possible traffic diversion and street closures for the weekend. On Sunday (4/27) morning, it was sunny and low 60 s when two observers started observing at 9 am. They spoke with Sheriff Deputies who were securing the parking lot and they reported that the crowds settled down around 4:30 am. The atmosphere was very calm and quiet. The streets were cleaned and litter free. The Department of Waste Management did a great job! The observers spoke with some hotel staff and they seemed to be satisfied with the weekend. Overall, the atmosphere on Atlantic Avenue (April 25-27, 2014) was generally very good and seemed like a normal summer night at the Oceanfront to many observers. People were having a fun time as they were walking Atlantic Avenue and there appeared to be no concerned tension on the streets. The observers stated that they did not feel frightened or threatened at all. The observers understand that the City arranged meetings and spent many hours discussing the issues and concerns that took place during Beach Weekend 2013 with the goal in mind to enhance Beach Weekend Since the observers were not a part of these discussions, they offered the following suggestions solely from the standpoint of an observer who walked the streets of the Oceanfront with our visitors from 10 pm-2:30 am on Friday and Saturday and briefly on Sunday morning from 9 am-noon. The observers believed the City should look into the options of opening up Atlantic Avenue to pedestrians as a walk way; however, they were not certain how this would work due to the impact this would cause on hotel patrons. It was also noted that the bus transportation wasn t utilized during the weekend. Observers wondered if the bus lanes on Atlantic Avenue could have been redefined as a pedestrian walk lane, with safety barriers, to assist with the overcrowded (shoulder to shoulder) sidewalks. It was noted that in the observer area (between 16 th -25 th Streets) there were only two public restroom facilities (located on 17 th Street & 24 th Street). Additionally, there were two portable restrooms located on 16 th Street. This was definitely not enough restrooms for the number of people at the Oceanfront. It is recommended that the City look into providing several banks of portable restrooms to assist with this problem. Remember, not all of the visitors had lodging accommodations so they heavily relayed on public restrooms. Additionally, with restaurants closing early, their restrooms weren t an 6

7 option to a paying patron. The biggest observation and concern was that the college visitors had no schedule of events/activities during the evening hours which resulted in visitors basically walking the streets; primarily on Atlantic Avenue. The observers highly recommend that the City (CVB & Beachevents) work with colleges and/or promoters to determine the types of activities their students would be interested in attending during their visit and develop a schedule of events, especially for the evening hours. Several observers suggested a college band competition or arrange local bands. Perhaps the City s stages on 17 th & 24 th could be utilized or at the Farm Bureau Live Amphitheater. On Saturday evening around 11 pm, a small group of people appeared on the sidewalk with band instruments (assumed they were school band members) and they started playing their instruments and walking with the flow of the crowd. Their music and their fun definitely lightened the atmosphere and had everyone smiling. Nonetheless, this performance caused commotion on the sidewalk and caused Police to have to direct them to stop performing which they easily complied with this order. We know during the summertime there are bands along the Oceanfront and perhaps if the stages on 17 th and 24 th streets were utilized this would offer some form of entertainment, fun and destination for the roaming crowd. Overall, the team of observers was very satisfied with their findings for the entire weekend but caution the City on the public relations element that needs to be addressed. The perceived message was that the City was prepared and not so much welcoming these Beach Weekend College students to Virginia Beach and believes the lack of scheduled events during the evening demonstrated the attitude. The business owners should be careful not to miss a prime opportunity to showcase our great hospitality and seek the opportunity to generate revenue which could off-set the cost of the very important security expenses. The observers were very happy that they were asked to serve in this civic engagement opportunity. They provided positive feedback that the process was well organized by Bonnie Beni and welcomed to be called upon again for other observations or civic engagement opportunities. The team of observers volunteered 40 hours on foot patrol and additionally attended an orientation meeting. It was agreed that it will take all of us, not just the Police Department, to ensure that all visitors and residents feel welcome and safe in our City with extra emphasis at the Oceanfront during the summertime or 7

8 special events. We need to continually educate and engage the public by improving and increasing ways for involvement. By working with citizens to get their buy-in, it will increase their trust in government; help the City make better decisions which will ensure policies and programs have longevity and breakdown the dialogue barriers on who should be visiting our City. We must seek citizen and business owners input and understanding of their responsibility of this important role and just as important, allocate resources to address the needs. The HRC Observers congratulate all of the stakeholders for a job well done during this special event. We highly recommend that efforts should continue to address issues and ensure this event gets the support that is warranted to make event attendees feel welcomed to our great City with emphasis on hospitality to include food, restrooms, shopping and entertainment. The observers were very satisfied with the behavior they witnessed and did not see any signs of mistreatment or discrimination. Additionally, they complement the college students who, overall, were well-behaved in public considering there was very little to do but walk up and down Atlantic Avenue during the evening. In closing, we are hopeful this year s event served as a year of healing from the disturbances from Beach Weekend 2013 and has built a bridge for our citizens, business owners and visitors to foster stronger relationships and understandings. Additionally, we hope this provides support to the efforts being made to ensure this great City is a Community for Lifetime for citizens and visitors. Respectfully, HRC Beach Weekend Observer Team 8

9 Recommendations/Suggestions: Possibility of opening up Atlantic Avenue to pedestrians as a walk way; determination would need to be made on impact to hotel patrons. Bus lanes on Atlantic Avenue could have been redefined as a pedestrian walk lane, with safety barriers, to assist with the overcrowded (shoulder to shoulder) sidewalks. NOTE: underutilization of bus transportation for this weekend Increase number of public restrooms; possibly several portable banks of restrooms. NOTE: between 16 th -25 th Streets only two public restroom facilities (located on 17 th Street & 24 th Street). Additionally, there were two portable restrooms located on 16 th Street. Not all of the visitors had lodging accommodations which was further exacerbated by restaurants closing early. Schedule appropriate events/activities which led to basically walking the streets. NOTE: City (CVB & Beachevents) work with colleges and/or promoters to determine the types of activities their students would be interested in attending during their visit and develop a schedule of events, especially for the evening hours. Several observers suggested a college band competition or arrange local bands. Perhaps the City s stages on 17 th & 24 th could be utilized. On Saturday evening around 11 pm, a small group of people appeared on the sidewalk with band instruments (assumed they were school band members) and they started playing their instruments and walking with the flow of the crowd. Their music and their fun definitely lightened the atmosphere and had everyone smiling. Nonetheless, this performance caused commotion on the sidewalk and caused Police to have to direct them to stop performing which they easily complied with this order. We know during the summer months there are bands along the Oceanfront and perhaps if the stages on 17 th and 24 th streets were utilized this would offer some form of entertainment, fun and destination for the roaming crowd. 9

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