Sheriff defends Fun Float patrols

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office contends its show of force during Saturday’s Fun Float Day on the Staunton River was an “appropriate response” given the previous year’s turnout.

Turnout to Saturday’s event, where participants floated on boats and rafts from around Long Island to Brookneal, was a fraction of what it was in previous years, with organizers estimating only a few hundred were there.

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Authorities, organizers and participants said they felt a major reason turnout was so low was because Campbell County deputies enforced the alcohol ban at county parks. There were complaints from participants and organizers that the show of force was too much for what turned out to be a smaller event.

“Several thousand people attended last year so I had to base it on that, and that many people did not come,” said Sheriff Terry Gaddy. “(Campbell County parks) are for family events and not for a bunch of drunks to come and hang out, and that’s why I had my personnel down there. It got completely out of hand out there last year, and I didn’t have enough people.”

Friday night, 14 deputies patrolled the park in anticipation of scores of campers. Only a fraction of those expected showed up, so some deputies were sent out to patrol roads, Gaddy said.

Five deputies were at the park Saturday morning, and that night, 12 were assigned. None received overtime pay, Gaddy said.

In previous years, excessive drinking, illegal drug use — and, at times, nudity — were commonplace as the party at long Island Park and on the Staunton River intensified. After a man drowned during last year’s event, authorities said they intended to dry up the party.

“The original event was designed for families,” Gaddy said, “and I’m not going to tolerate public nudity, table dancing and wet T-shirt contests while there are children around.”

Capt. Ron Henry, of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said the crackdown was long overdue and he received comments from some participants on the river expressing gratitude for the show of force.

“We had many positive comments from people with families who came down there who said it was much less unruly than in years past, and they felt comfortable bringing their family to the event,” Henry said.

Nine conservation police officers were assigned to boat patrols on that stretch of the Staunton River, about the same amount as in past years, Henry said.

In 2008, DGIF set up a two-hour checkpoint that was cut short when the drowning occurred, Henry said. Officers issued 64 citations for offenses, such as littering, drug possession and underage drinking. This year, only six citations were issued Saturday, Henry said.

About five people were removed from Long Island Park on Friday night for alcohol possession, and five tickets were written. Gaddy said deputies did not search coolers unless someone admitted to having alcohol.

Saturday, officials with the Long Island Ruritan Club, which sponsors the event, said the drop in attendance hurt sales for the organization’s largest fundraiser. Fun Float Day organizer Gayle Fannon said Monday she thought money raised wouldn’t be anywhere near the amount brought in during past years.

Fannon said the group will meet in January to discuss the 2010 festival. “We’re going to decide if we’re going to sponsor it and if so, how we’re going to do things differently.”

If the event is held next year, Gaddy said he will have a highly visible law enforcement presence.

“I will personally meet with the Ruritans next year and I will base the number of law enforcement officers on the expected number of people to show up,” Gaddy said. “If people want to drink, as far as I’m concerned, they can stay home. This is not going to become a party place for people to come in from five states around.”

“The Ruritans are a great organization and they provide money to the volunteer fire and EMS, and I’m sorry it affected their food sales,” Gaddy said. “But I would not change a thing of what we did other than re-evaluate for next year, and hopefully people will return and hopefully more families will return once they know this park will be free of those activities.”