jcfun wrote:
I wasn't saying that the SPP had anything to do with the Taconic, I put the SPP in parenthesis because you (jc_downtown regular) kept correcting everyone on how the state police are not the same as the state PARK police, etc.. I brought the Taconic into the whole thing for obvious ( I hope) reasons. Sorry for the confusion.

DirtMcGirt wrote:
Why is the "no alcohol" law a good one?

If you commit a real crime, prosecute it. Drinking in and of itself is not criminal.

hamlet wrote:
I didn't have 'CASES OF ALCOHOL', just 2 six packs of Heineken Light (for 25 adults).

To whoever posted the contacts, thank you very much. Very helpful!

PS If we let them do this to us, they will. When the term 'breaking the law' becomes so vague and interpretive that a jaywalker is treated like a criminal, you will remember the liberties we all took for granted.

hamlet wrote:
2 six packs of Heineken Light (for 25 adults)

jcfun wrote:
As for the "state PARK police", doesn't anyone remember the incident on the Toconic????

Crazy_Chester wrote:
Some 4-yr-olds are very entertaining after they've had a couple of beers.

tern wrote:
wibbit ,

Many children's parties have alcohol for adults, it's not unusual.

Robin.

tern wrote:
wibbit ,

Many children's parties have alcohol for adults, it's not unusual.

Robin.

hamlet wrote:
Did anybody else had a bad experience with Liberty State Park police lately?

On September 16, I was throwing a birthday party at the Park playground for my 4 year old son, his friends and their parents. I have reserved my spot with the Park Office and had the permit displayed at the area. Everything was going great: i set up the balloons and 2 tents, games, snacks and pizzas, goody bags, birthday cake you name it. We had about 25 kids and 20 adults in total. Everyone was having a good time, until 2 Park Police cars pulled up to our area. The officer on duty came out and immediately singled a mother of one of the children. She was sitting at the table and had an open beer bottle next to her. He really got in her face, demanding to know if the beer was hers. She looked terrified and intimidated, so i stepped in and said the beer was mine. He told me i was lying and demanded to know who all the open beers belonged to. I told him they were all mine (i was really embarrassed by the whole situation and was trying to keep other parents out of it). I explained that we didn't know, we were not allowed to have them and that i would happily throw them away and remove the unopened bottles to the car, but it seems he was out for blood. I pointed out that this was a kids birthday party and all the adults were responsible parents, not thugs. I was pleading for him to stop being so aggressive and he told me that, if i said another word he would arrest me and disband the whole event. At this point my wife pulled me away and tried to reason with him, but he was completely unsympathetic. First he collected everyone's driver's licenses to issue summons. The parents were all upset and the kids were very confused by what was happening. After checking everyone's licenses in his system, he returned all of them, except my wife's who he issued a $75 dollar ticket. Then the police left, but the party was kinda ruined :(.

We didn't know the no-alcohol rule in the park, but we were happy to comply with it. There was no reason for the police aggressive and belligirent behaviour. He should've used his judgement and realised that we were not a threat to the public, and politelly asked us to remove the beers. Instead he terrified half of us and totally abused his power.

My wife and other parents complained to the Park Chief about it, and i just received a letter from him stating, that his investigation concluded that we were uncooperative and deceiving which caused the officer to become firm with us. In other word we were wrong and he was right. I'm so upset about it, that i will be gathering signatures of everyone in that party and sending letters to various local government agencies asking to investigate this matter further. Any advice on how to handle this, or who to write is greatly appreaciated.

Did anyone have any similar experience? Please let us
know.

PS I have noticed that the police is getting more aggressive and forcefull out there. What is going on!?!? Do they think that everyone is a potential terrorist. We must resist this at all costs, or we will wake up one day in oppressive police state.

linky wrote:
Good work NJ State Police.

EthanCrane wrote:
Completely disagree with your arrogant response. If a Starbucks barista can deal with dozens of idiots per hour and remain pleasant, then a park cop, who probably has one difficult situation a month, can talk to people decently. We should demand more from the police that serve us.

hamlet wrote:

PS I have noticed that the police is getting more aggressive and forcefull out there. What is going on!?!? Do they think that everyone is a potential terrorist. We must resist this at all costs, or we will wake up one day in oppressive police state.

Completely disagree with your arrogant response. If a Starbucks barista can deal with dozens of idiots per hour and remain pleasant, then a park cop, who probably has one difficult situation a month, can talk to people decently. We should demand more from the police that serve us.