THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607040548
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 33 lines
Undercover police officers nabbed nearly 140 people on drug and alcohol charges at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater during last week's Furthur Festival, according to records released Wednesday.
The festival, featuring musicians who splintered from the Grateful Dead after the death of Jerry Garcia, attracts the same type of nomadic crowd that once followed that band from city to city. Drug use was common at Grateful Dead concerts.
Violations at the June 25 festival led to 18 arrests and 119 summonses for charges ranging from possession of opium to urinating in public, according to a memo from Police Chief Charles R. Wall to City Manager James K. Spore.
Undercover police at the previous concert - the Eagles - issued 57 summonses, nearly all for drinking beer in the parking lot. There was one drug charge at the Eagles concert. There were 45 at the Furthur Festival.
Sheriff's deputies on contract to provide security at the amphitheater made three arrests during the festival for public intoxication and assault. A Sheriff's Department official said he did not know why deputies arrested so few people compared to police, but said deputies are trying to handle law-breakers without making arrests.
``We're trying to enforce voluntary compliance with the law instead of arresting every individual we see,'' Maj. Bill Mann said.
Police said they released most of the people on court summonses, but said they didn't have that option for the more serious drug charges.
All of the violations reported by police happened in the parking lot, the memo said. by CNB