BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors for Sail250 as city leaders and business owners in Fells Point hope a new public safety plan will prevent a repeat of the last two weekends, when large crowds and gunfire disrupted the waterfront neighborhood.
Live music, planes flying overhead and ships sailing into the harbor are setting the stage for one of the city’s biggest summer celebrations.
Ron Furman, owner of Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point, said he is looking forward to the event and the customers it will bring, but he also wants the violence and disorder that have plagued recent weekends to stop.
“It’s been tough,” Furman said.
The past two weekends, large crowds flooded Fells Point and, at times, turned violent, with both weekends ending in gunfire. Businesses have also been frustrated by open drinking and illegal alcohol sales, along with the impact of road closures and crime on the area’s economy.
“It’s cost us millions, and I’m not kidding when I say millions of dollars, having the roads blocked off,” Furman said. “It’s cost us millions of dollars from having the crime that’s been going on, and you know, we can’t exist going forward like this.”
City leaders have promised changes for the Sail250 weekend. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said, “You’ll see a different plan this weekend on how to combat this.” He did not share specifics, but called for stronger enforcement.
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Furman said he wants to see the city follow through. “I’m tired, and I want to see change, and I have to believe that it’s going to come finally,” he said.
He also said that, for the first time in years, the mayor’s office and other city officials are in direct contact with him and appear to have a better understanding of what the area needs. “I think they’ve recognized that this can’t go on any longer, and you know, I really look forward to seeing what happens,” Furman said.
Beth Hawks, owner of the boutique Zelda Zen, said businesses are encouraged by what they see as improved communication and a larger law enforcement presence.
“We finally feel as though the city is communicating with the businesses down here,” Hawks said.
Hawks said multiple agencies are involved this weekend. “There’s the state troopers, the marine police, the feds are here, the Baltimore Police Department,” she said. “So, if you came down here and caused any mayhem this weekend, I would pity you.”
Both business owners said the bigger test will be maintaining safety and order beyond a single event weekend. “Let’s have a great weekend every weekend,” Hawks said.
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