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Nine officers with the department's patrol division conducted the operation Thursday in an effort to curb the illegal activity that also included public urination, unruliness and parking issues, and to let the public know it won't be tolerated, said Capt. Diedrich Hohn.
During the operation officers issued 33 infraction summonses for offenses ranging from drug and alcohol sales to running an outdoor kitchen, he said.
At the time of the operation, there were approximately 100 people loitering in the parking area of the park, all within close proximity of a youth soccer game occurring on the field, Hohn added.
“The Stamford Police Department is the primary crime-fighting agency in the City of Stamford, said Police Chief Jon Fontneau. "We are confident that with a multifaceted approach and working with Parks and Recreation and other resources we will continue to address these types of concerns within our parks.”
Types of tickets issued included numerous infractions for possession of marijuana, alcohol in glass containers, possession of hard alcohol, and infractions for creating a public disturbance (urination in public). Two arrests were made for drug transactions in and around the park.
Officers also found an open-air kitchen and a makeshift bar. Several stove burners and charcoal briquettes were being used to serve food to a large number of people. Another individual was selling hard alcohol and beer from the back of his vehicle. The kitchen was dismantled and the alcohol was seized. Both were issued infractions for vending without a permit and other park violations.
Other violations including numerous motor vehicle issues including reckless driving and a large number of vehicles illegally parked on the curbs and in handicapped spots. Officers stopped several vehicles and issued 11 infractions, two summons for suspended licenses, three vehicles were towed, and four parking infractions issued.
“We will not let this small percentage of people disrupt the beautiful beaches and parks of this city and this behavior will not be tolerated," said Hohn, who spearheaded the detail, "I also want to thank the Officers who participated in this detail. These Officers made a large impact on this park in such a short time and it could not have been done without them."
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