Every Derby if you are a Police Officer in Louisville it is understood that off days will be changed, no vacation time is allowed and you will most likely be working some sort of Derby Detail. Officers became accustomed to this fact just as Officers in New Orleans face Mardis Gras and Officers in Indianapolis have the Indy 500. Every town has some type of signature festival that happens once a year no matter what part of the country you are from.
The Kentucky Derby has been a signature event for the City of Louisville since 1875. Several other events have spun off as part of the festivities that the entire community can be involved in; The Pegasus Parade, The Mini-Marathon, The Great Steamboat Race and the most recent to be added was Thunder Over Louisville. All of these events are open to everyone as part of The Derby Festival.
In 1997 cruisers started taking over the streets of West Louisville causing gridlock and huge problems for businesses and residents. People that worked in the area couldn't get to their jobs and people that lived in the area couldn't get to their homes. The Police Department detailed Officers to combat the problem. The Louisville Police Department was stretched pretty thin because of all the commitments to other events.
The problem soon became one too large to manage. The message was sent out on e-mails and on the internet that there was a great party on Broadway. Police soon noticed that the majority of the revelers were not local residents, but from out of town. As the numbers grew so did the problems. Police were criticized for doing too much or we were criticized for not doing enough.
Efforts to try and diffuse the situation by sponsoring concerts and other events fell through. The sheer volume of the people that would show up was enough of a problem but when the lawlessness was taking over it was time to put an end to this unsanctioned event. Since it began there have been a total of 4 murders, numerous shootings and stabbings, rapes, fighting, vandalism, thefts and a wide assortment of other crimes. If you were to examine any other event you would not find any comparison to this. Sure there will always be drunks, and occasional scuffle and some pick pockets and ticket scalpers at the track, but nobody ever got killed.
The 2005 cruising was the largest and most violent yet. The numbers didn't lie. Three people were killed in and around Broadway during the time of the event. Five people were shot, several stabbed and the Citizens of Metro Louisville were picking up the tab for over a million dollars to pay for a lawless event.
You will hear some local activists claim it is a tradition. No, it is not. It started in 1997 and is ending this year, because murder is not a tradition that this community embraces.
Officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department are ecstatic over the announcement by Chief White and Mayor Abramson that it will not be allowed to continue. They have listened to the community and to the Police Officers and have made their decision. Broadway Cruising Ends now. The safety of our community comes first.
What started out as harmless fun for some people evolved into a nightmare for residents, business owners and Police. The message will be explained in many venues from community meetings, the internet to advertising that in 2006 if you show up and act up you will probably be locked up. Cruising will no longer be tolerated in Louisville.