Drunks win – Brownwood Square loses
 

I am someone, who still after four years of living in the Villages, enjoys going to the Brownwood Square to see a good band. However, I have to say I am getting more wary of doing so. That’s because of the rowdiness and especially as the number of inebriated people at the square continues to grow. When I first started going, on Friday and Saturday nights and when there was a popular band, there were always Sumter police at the square. This always had a calming effect in my opinion, so that there were not waves of jaywalkers, people bumbling around, and you felt safe. However, when they shut down the small police station there, things have become bad. I have not seen a policeman down at the square now for a long time. The number of people who show up drunk at the square has dramatically increased. Last week a drunk (we call him red bandana man) who is at the square repeatedly, and shows up drunk, who staggers across the dance area with people trying to avoid him, finally passed out and fell flat over. The Community Watch (CW) sat him up in a chair and took details and then let him walk off into the sunset. My question is why is this allowed to happen? I know the CW folks have no powers, but their primary job must be to keep Villagers safe. To allow these people to ruin the fun of others is just wrong. Surely they could call the police and have him removed from the area. They should also stop the other drunks, and there are many, staggering into dancers.
Please don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going to the drink shack and buying beers. I think it’s great to have a few adult beverages and sing and dance, but not in what’s becoming a hostile atmosphere. My thoughts are:
1. No disrespect to the CW folks. They do a great job making sure people sit in the right areas and chairs are in the right lines. A not fun job considering what they are getting paid. However it must be safety first – and their bosses need to step in and tell them to call the cops on drunks and have them removed.
2. Where are the police? When you have an event with hundreds of people drinking, and golf carts zooming around avoiding jaywalkers, why don’t they show their presence at least for 15 minutes every hour? Just one cop crossing the square every hour will definitely calm down the drunks, and also the lousy traffic problems.
It’s just a matter of time before some big altercation inside the square, or a pedestrian getting run over.

Public drunk is more or less acceptable in the US. That is very sad. I don't know if public intoxication is illegal in this area, it should be. I have no problem with people that want to get drunk, but they should not inflict themselves on others. And one wonders how they are getting home... that might be very illegal, and deadly.

Brownwood is under the Wildwood Police's jurisdiction. We were at Brownwood when a drunk was causing problems and Wildwood PD was called. The drunk hung around for awhile and left before any police showed up, in fact Wildwood PD never showed. Lady Lake seems to always be at SS and Sumter County has a strong presence at LSL

I don't go there that often, but in the past I have noticed people who've had a few too many and got a little rowdy. In your opinion, are the problematic imbibers Villages residents or non-residents coming there for Happy Hour or to dance, etc.?

I believe this is an indication of where The Villages is headed. I have noted a decline in what was once a pristine community to one that is grossly overcrowded with a less desirable population. Drunks passing out in a town square is truly appalling. Doing nothing about it is criminal.

Disorderly Intoxication- Florida | Definition and Penalties

FYI.

I'll take a guess that the *proportion* of disorderly folks isn't all that much changed from 10 years ago. There are more people. Therefore, there are more drunks.

If the proportion is 2:100 and there are only 100 people around, you'll only see 2 disorderly drunk people. But if there are 200 people, that means you'll see 4 disorderly drunk people in the same place.

I'll take another guess that there are actually a lot more than that, it's just that most of them aren't "disorderly."

IMO, the newer south areas seem to have the younger more "rowdier party active" folks and Brownwood is "their" Square so you will likely find more "exuberant partiers" there. Unfortunately it's just going to get more "active" until the new southern square is finished in a year or 2 or 3 or whatever. Brownwood seems to have always been more like that then the rest but is only growing in "density" of visitors as the southern areas fill up fast and the Brownwood area gains more restaurants and businesses.

Put a little Cross on him while he's sleeping. A lot of people will take action.

Especially the clipboard ladies.

Are the “clipboard ladies” real or folklore?

Has anyone seen my red bandanna I can’t remember what I did with it

Whose Jurisdiction?
 

If the drunks are a problem, then the situation can get out of hand in a New York minute! Fights, possible injuries, or fatalities, you name it, can happen. I hope the concerns about the growing incidents of drunken behavior are being directed to whoever has responsibility for addressing those issues. Surely an off-duty officer could work a four-hour detail at the squares and receive compensation out of the funds from the refreshment stand. Even a special deputy from the Sheriff's Department could function in this capacity. The presence of a law enforcement officer can do wonders for keeping the peace at these venues.

Yes they are...
:ho::popcorn::popcorn:

1. No disrespect to the CW folks. They do a great job making sure people sit in the right areas and chairs are in the right lines. A not fun job considering what they are getting paid. However, it must be safety first – and their bosses need to step in and tell them to call the cops on drunks and have them removed.

This is not Community Watch that controls/manage where people are sitting in the square. The Villages have a "Special Event" department that handles the management during the entertainment. I believe they all have red shirts and there are several of them visible all evening. Community watch does patrol the area and will in fact call Wildwood Police when there is any problem in Brownwood. CW is quite busy each night also assisting people in finding cars or golf carts in the parking lot. CW has no authority regarding this matter (you're correct) other than to notify law enforcement when needed. Please keep in mind that most CW are seniors/residence themselves. Getting involved with the drunk and disorderly is a police matter and not even in the capability of CW. Frankly, at the pay rate of $12/hour, it is hardly worth putting CW in harm's way. The real answer is to request that Wildwood PD begin a foot patrol at the Brownwood square for the entire evening, every evening. The tax base for Wildwood is growing considerably due to our growth. A few hours of Police protection during entertainment times should be no problem. Please also keep in mind that YOU as a citizen have to power to call 911 as well.