Originally Posted by Reiver (Post 2008823)

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

Originally Posted by jrbeccles (Post 2008767)

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.

Originally Posted by DAVES (Post 2008862)

It is hard to claim a trend in a four year period. Personally I am becoming less tolerant of people. In the end it is ME. Even if I choose to blame it on covid. Like most things it feeds on itself.

Originally Posted by PennBF (Post 2008863)

A basic question is how did they get there and how are they getting home in a drunken state? Either by car or cart? Why are they not arrested when they leave as they are a threat to everyone else on the road or cart path? We have watched the drunks at Cody's
in LSL and often how come they are able to drive drunk? Where are the police when these drunks get back in the cart or car and get back on the road or cart path? Same for the LSL Square. Solution: There should be Police around these area's observing the conduct
of the drunks and if they get in a cart or car arrest them!:ohdear:

Originally Posted by Kenswing (Post 2008876)

Some of the people that go to the square are more entertaining than the people paid to perform at the square. :1rotfl:

Originally Posted by maggie1 (Post 2008837)

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.

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan (Post 2008772)

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.

Originally Posted by Dana1963 (Post 2008906)

1% cause 100% of the problems kids that never grew up.