Hudson River Blue Piece On Yankee Stadium Security

[Ahab_Flanders]

Now I don't know when you were cuffed but when the cars came down the block they put over the loudspeaker to get out of the street. I don't know when you were cuffed but it was said then and repeatedly by cops clearing the street. It was said maybe you didn't hear it.

Watch the video. They were cuffed and then the cars rolled in.

 

[nevheatley3]

Active NYPD and STH here. Just want to chime in.

It's the Yankees' house, they run the show. Criminal acts aside, if they want someone out, you're out. You refuse, it's trespass and the cuffs come out. I know everyone loves to blame cops, but chances are, ejections have merit to it. Even if they don't, take it up with the landlords.

Most people don't see the cops' side when it comes to policing post-event madness. I do. It's, well, madness. 99% of the fans are no trouble, the 1% are a pain in the @$$ and force the hand. Videos often show the final 10% of an encounter and the narrative is then, "cops ruin fun". Keep in mind the oft-ignored and less-exiciting public safety aspect. Minor, small scale "bad behavior" tends to compound quickly and uncontrollable craziness ensues. You'd be surprised how similar this is to wildfire. That's one of the reasons cops are there in the first place.

I can't speak for in-stadium issues, but as for post-event police activities, this is no different than a Yankee game. A lot of "little" violations are overlooked, but knuckleheads who ignore calls to get out of the street and things of that nature are sure to end up arrested or summonsed. Also, the precinct which covers the stadium gets bombarded with complaints at council meetings about post-event fan behavior (baseball, soccer, concerts, you name it). As mentioned above, these have to be addressed by commanders.

I just wanted to explain the other side. There isn't some conspiracy to shut down the club or harass fans, or some nefarious "us vs. them" ploy that requires moving the team to Westchester. I know tons of cops who are STH, and the club sticker has already been plastered on several lockers and department facilities alongside those of the Jets, Yanks, and Rangers. Anyhow, I digress.

TL;DR: Don't act like an ass, stay out of the street, use common sense. Odds are, you'll be fine.

I disagree with you in some points but appreciate you adding to the discussion.

 

[Drainyoo]

Active NYPD and STH here. Just want to chime in.

It's the Yankees' house, they run the show. Criminal acts aside, if they want someone out, you're out. You refuse, it's trespass and the cuffs come out. I know everyone loves to blame cops, but chances are, ejections have merit to it. Even if they don't, take it up with the landlords.

Most people don't see the cops' side when it comes to policing post-event madness. I do. It's, well, madness. 99% of the fans are no trouble, the 1% are a pain in the @$$ and force the hand. Videos often show the final 10% of an encounter and the narrative is then, "cops ruin fun". Keep in mind the oft-ignored and less-exiciting public safety aspect. Minor, small scale "bad behavior" tends to compound quickly and uncontrollable craziness ensues. You'd be surprised how similar this is to wildfire. That's one of the reasons cops are there in the first place.

I can't speak for in-stadium issues, but as for post-event police activities, this is no different than a Yankee game. A lot of "little" violations are overlooked, but knuckleheads who ignore calls to get out of the street and things of that nature are sure to end up arrested or summonsed. Also, the precinct which covers the stadium gets bombarded with complaints at council meetings about post-event fan behavior (baseball, soccer, concerts, you name it). As mentioned above, these have to be addressed by commanders.

I just wanted to explain the other side. There isn't some conspiracy to shut down the club or harass fans, or some nefarious "us vs. them" ploy that requires moving the team to Westchester. I know tons of cops who are STH, and the club sticker has already been plastered on several lockers and department facilities alongside those of the Jets, Yanks, and Rangers. Anyhow, I digress.

TL;DR: Don't act like an ass, stay out of the street, use common sense. Odds are, you'll be fine.

Thanks for this and for your service. You should email this to HRB so they get both sides of the story, which any real journalist would do. The tone of their article makes it seem like Yankee Stadium is being overtaken by a Fascist regime.

Your last sentence hits the nail on the head. My cousin is a Sergeant and he tells me the same thing. I don't get why people act like idiots around cops, and test them. You're just asking to get your ass handed to you.

 

[Slick Rick]

I know there are mixed feelings about having fun after a loss or partying after every match. That's for another discussion.
The bottom line is that there is real passion and camaraderie pre and post match among a fledgling team and it's supporters. Much of the energy comes from the stifling atmosphere set up for us in Yankee Stadium that is released afterwards. I hope that the fun continues post match with as many as people as possible and feel that even if you don't actively participate you should support the spirit of what is trying to be done.

If anyone thinks that gathering only after a win is going to be "allowed" or that NYPD is going to be more understanding if we party less often, think again. We set the norm of what supporters culture is, we don't have it dictated to us.

 

[northernburbs]

Unless they're black or Hispanic.

Unfortunately true most of the time

 

[Buckley]

Active NYPD and STH here. Just want to chime in.

It's the Yankees' house, they run the show. Criminal acts aside, if they want someone out, you're out. You refuse, it's trespass and the cuffs come out. I know everyone loves to blame cops, but chances are, ejections have merit to it. Even if they don't, take it up with the landlords.

Most people don't see the cops' side when it comes to policing post-event madness. I do. It's, well, madness. 99% of the fans are no trouble, the 1% are a pain in the @$$ and force the hand. Videos often show the final 10% of an encounter and the narrative is then, "cops ruin fun". Keep in mind the oft-ignored and less-exiciting public safety aspect. Minor, small scale "bad behavior" tends to compound quickly and uncontrollable craziness ensues. You'd be surprised how similar this is to wildfire. That's one of the reasons cops are there in the first place.

I can't speak for in-stadium issues, but as for post-event police activities, this is no different than a Yankee game. A lot of "little" violations are overlooked, but knuckleheads who ignore calls to get out of the street and things of that nature are sure to end up arrested or summonsed. Also, the precinct which covers the stadium gets bombarded with complaints at council meetings about post-event fan behavior (baseball, soccer, concerts, you name it). As mentioned above, these have to be addressed by commanders.

I just wanted to explain the other side. There isn't some conspiracy to shut down the club or harass fans, or some nefarious "us vs. them" ploy that requires moving the team to Westchester. I know tons of cops who are STH, and the club sticker has already been plastered on several lockers and department facilities alongside those of the Jets, Yanks, and Rangers. Anyhow, I digress.

TL;DR: Don't act like an ass, stay out of the street, use common sense. Odds are, you'll be fine.

I wish I could like this more than once.

 

[jaycrewz]

You first sentence says otherwise. You should not have been on the pillar.

lol what? People lean on pillars all the time. Since when is that a reason for a cop to assault you?

I wish I could like this more than once.

Weird how that post he made though said nothing about the random arrests of NYCFC fans or the treatment fans received on their way to Red Bull Arena. Not that I expect many cops to be objective or try to see things from a civilians point of view.

So yeah, no like from me for that post.

 

[Ahab_Flanders]

lol what? People lean on pillars all the time. Since when is that a reason for a cop to assault you?

Scouse was standing on the pillar, and he was pulled off, not assaulted. Let's not make a witch hunt out of this.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

Some people will shit on the police no matter what they do. He said that the neighborhood complains about noise after every sporting event. Your right to "party" in the streets after a game will never trump that. The street is shut down to allow people to walk to the train etc. not to allow us to party. Its not the police just trying to hassle you, they have orders for a reason. You might not like the reasons, but it is not that the cops just want to keep you down.

 

[PD_4_NYCFC]

lol what? People lean on pillars all the time. Since when is that a reason for a cop to assault you?

Weird how that post he made though said nothing about the random arrests of NYCFC fans or the treatment fans received on their way to Red Bull Arena. Not that I expect many cops to be objective or try to see things from a civilians point of view.

So yeah, no like from me for that post.

No harm, no foul, as I worry not over the lack of like. I wouldn't classify it as "weird", as that implies I was willfully ignoring a point. I did no such thing.

Anyhow, as alluded to in the above post, his own described behavior does not constitute mere leaning, nor does the cops' act he described constitute assault. I can see how it can be construed as such, though.

Unless I missed a post, I don't recall reading about a commute to Red Bull Arena, which is why I didn't address it. I actually did refer to the arrests, by discussing the various reasons that may have led to it. Random, perhaps. Unjustified, no. I took a look at the video again, and based on what I can see from only that video, I can speculate the following:

The fans in the center stood out because of the visible flag, and it seemed they were in the center of the circle. This caused others to congregate around and start filming the fun. Again, we're not talking about terrorists here as I'm sure they're great people, but my guess is the cops on the scene viewed them as the reason people had stopped. In order to keep the crowd moving, they went after what they believed was the source and, yes, perhaps to make a point to others.

Some may disagree, but that's the way it is as far as crowd control is concerned. Maybe that cop told 10 people to keep moving over the last X amount of time and none complied, so he said "no more". Maybe he's just an a$$hole. Who knows. Either way, the police behavior - as upsetting as it may be so some - was perfectly legal. I'm telling you, you can't go wrong with the advice to "keep moving". As mentioned above, the street was not blocked for partying...as much as I would like for it to be. There is no constitutional right to congregate in large crowds on a public roadway. The "Mr. Nice Guy" approach to crowd control can only go so far. I've witnesses it countless times.

You may not expect cops to be objective or try to see things from the other side, but they do, every day. And, even then, they still have a job to do. I don't expect to change anyone's opinions or alter a bias, just explaining the other side as there always, always is one.

I disagree with you in some points but appreciate you adding to the discussion.

That's what this is all about, friend.

 

[Slick Rick]

Many of us know that the street is closed to allow faster exit of large crowds from the area. That said, the closed off street invites (rightly or wrongly) the environment to gather, although obviously the police only tolerate to a certain point. What that point is we don't know because for 6 home games supporters have gathered peacefully only to have varying levels of pushback, sometimes none at all.
So for 6 home games the PD has seen the pattern of the gatherings but rather than devise a plan that would be less confrontaional, they have allowed the gatherings to get to a crescendo and intervene forcibly.
Let me remind everyone that these post match events are not driven politically, racially, religiously or otherwise. They are the oposite of divisive and are not based in criminality. Only citizens, who willing participate, in celebration of sport and friendship. This isn't some faux hooliganism.
And yes we know the ultimate safety net is for NYPD to pull out the dis con violation trump card.
NYPD has the expirience and logistics to fully stem the gatherings if they want, but it seems that they give just enough rope to hope we hang ourselves.
I am not advocating criminality, and if you pop smoke or drink in the street then you assume responsibility.
Someone asked the question, what if we held up NYPD banners instead of soccer banners.

 

[kylelovescrayons]

So let's all congregate where the city drummers are - fast exit everyone go right to the drummers and drown them out by cheering and chanting

 

[kylelovescrayons]

Can't remember if I put this on the forums yet or not buuuuut - this is how we should look walking to the drummers.

Noone should even go in the street - we should overcrowd the sidewalks and if anyone encourages us to move off the sidewalk and use the street we should say - "No sir or madam, I don't want to be arrested, but you have a great day/night."

 

[jaycrewz]

Some people will shit on the police no matter what they do. He said that the neighborhood complains about noise after every sporting event. Your right to "party" in the streets after a game will never trump that. The street is shut down to allow people to walk to the train etc. not to allow us to party. Its not the police just trying to hassle you, they have orders for a reason. You might not like the reasons, but it is not that the cops just want to keep you down.

I think the NYPD has justly earned a lot of the short patience NYC citizens have for things they do. But hey, if people wanna make excuses for security and police being very ill prepared for soccer fandom...fine. Like the article said, they better start learning how to deal with soccer fans as the sport grows in the city.

Last thing NYC needs is a uproar if the city's militarized police force does something really dumb to the fans. Thats what Im worried about when I read these articles, complaints on social media, etc. If crowds keep feeling like the cops are shoving and grabbing random people, think of how that might end up turning out....especially if you ever have a cop who might take things too far. That wont end well for anyone.

Anyways, heres that other story about the lack of preparedness of transit and disrespect NYCFC fans felt they received from police on their way to the Red Bulls game. www.hudsonriverblue.com/2015/5/12/8595173/subterranean-hometown-blues-nyc-fans-overwhelm-port-authority-transit

PS - I wouldnt expect some guy in CT to know what its like to deal with the more unsavory elements of the NYPD. Like I said, they've earned the reputation they have with many New Yorkers all on their own.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

I think the NYPD has justly earned a lot of the short patience NYC citizens have for things they do. But hey, if people wanna make excuses for security and police being very ill prepared for soccer fandom...fine. Like the article said, they better start learning how to deal with soccer fans as the sport grows in the city.

Last thing NYC needs is a uproar if the city's militarized police force does something really dumb to the fans. Thats what Im worried about when I read these articles, complaints on social media, etc. If crowds keep feeling like the cops are shoving and grabbing random people, think of how that might end up turning out....especially if you ever have a cop who might take things too far. That wont end well for anyone.

Anyways, heres that other story about the lack of preparedness of transit and disrespect NYCFC fans felt they received from police on their way to the Red Bulls game. www.hudsonriverblue.com/2015/5/12/8595173/subterranean-hometown-blues-nyc-fans-overwhelm-port-authority-transit

PS - I wouldnt expect some guy in CT to know what its like to deal with the more unsavory elements of the NYPD. Like I said, they've earned the reputation they have with many New Yorkers all on their own.

The struggle is real, keep fighting the good fight in the concrete jungle.

 

[jaycrewz]

Btw, just to add,

I do agree that public safety is paramount. Fans do have responsibilities of course. But I also believe in preparedness, courtesy, and professionalism on the part of transit, stadium staff, and law enforcement when it comes to growing soccer fandom.

Soccer fandom should not be underestimated, but soccer fans shouldnt over do it either. And it does seem like many Americans who arent familiar with the beautiful game, are not very understanding to some things fans do. And this is especially true as many Americans adopt soccer culture of Europe and South America. As long as American soccer fans never take up hooliganism though, I think everything will be just fine.

 

[CP_Scouse]

Fuck it. The street is perfect. If theres a car, we move.

 

[ldent42]

No harm, no foul, as I worry not over the lack of like. I wouldn't classify it as "weird", as that implies I was willfully ignoring a point. I did no such thing.

Anyhow, as alluded to in the above post, his own described behavior does not constitute mere leaning, nor does the cops' act he described constitute assault. I can see how it can be construed as such, though.

Unless I missed a post, I don't recall reading about a commute to Red Bull Arena, which is why I didn't address it. I actually did refer to the arrests, by discussing the various reasons that may have led to it. Random, perhaps. Unjustified, no. I took a look at the video again, and based on what I can see from only that video, I can speculate the following:

The fans in the center stood out because of the visible flag, and it seemed they were in the center of the circle. This caused others to congregate around and start filming the fun. Again, we're not talking about terrorists here as I'm sure they're great people, but my guess is the cops on the scene viewed them as the reason people had stopped. In order to keep the crowd moving, they went after what they believed was the source and, yes, perhaps to make a point to others.

Some may disagree, but that's the way it is as far as crowd control is concerned. Maybe that cop told 10 people to keep moving over the last X amount of time and none complied, so he said "no more". Maybe he's just an a$$hole. Who knows. Either way, the police behavior - as upsetting as it may be so some - was perfectly legal. I'm telling you, you can't go wrong with the advice to "keep moving". As mentioned above, the street was not blocked for partying...as much as I would like for it to be. There is no constitutional right to congregate in large crowds on a public roadway. The "Mr. Nice Guy" approach to crowd control can only go so far. I've witnesses it countless times.

You may not expect cops to be objective or try to see things from the other side, but they do, every day. And, even then, they still have a job to do. I don't expect to change anyone's opinions or alter a bias, just explaining the other side as there always, always is one.



That's what this is all about, friend.

I'd like to thank you for this perspective.
What I've gathered from this, is the problem that the fans seem to be having with the NYPD is that after the match when they want to celebrate in the street, it's not allowed - and they don't know that. It's understandable too, because you come out of the stadium and see the streets are blocked off you have no idea why. There's no announcement made about why they do that. As for the SG flag guys getting arrested and disrespected/verbally abused it seems that it stems from a lack of empathy from the officers in question. As mentioned, they are thinking about crowd control and getting home asap. They cease to see the crowd as individuals, as people, and instead see a problem to be solved. So maybe the other cops told the people around the periphery to move out of the street. Maybe those individuals left, but new individuals coming out of the stadium took their place. The cops see it as the crowd not moving because the people they spoke to were just part of the crowd. Obviously the NYPD officers cannot be made to address each and every individual leaving the stadium "please keep moving" so I would suggest maybe the NYPD and YS need to get signs put up as the match ends "no congregating allowed" and get one of those LED road signs in the street to say "keep moving" or whatever.

I've seen the crowd in the street when leaving the games but I was always busy - had somewhere to be so I never like stuck around and watched them or participated.

 

[AndreT_NY]

lol what? People lean on pillars all the time. Since when is that a reason for a cop to assault you?

A: He said he was standingon top of the pillar which is different from leaning. B: Removing someone from a pillar isn't assault. Pushing someone off would be that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[jaycrewz]

A: He said he was standingon top of the pillar which is different from leaning. B: Removing someone from a pillar isn't assault. Pushing someone off would be that doesn't seem to be the case.

Gimme a break. Ive seen how NYPD "remove" peoeple from an area in the city. There was even a recent kidnapping case after a guy tried to protect his female friend from a grabby sexually harassing officer. So please, for those who've never truly lived in the city for a long time or have never lived there at all, I repeat...the NYPD has justly earned their reputation and the short patience many citizens have with them.

Ive had friends who've suffered injuries from officers removing them from an area...no charges filed against said friend, and the officer claim he gently removed the guy from an area. Didn't explain my buddy's injury that needed treatment. So when the earlier poster talks about being forcefully grabbed "mad hard" I have an idea of what it looked like.

What happened to asking someone why they are doing something, and then asking them to move along before putting your hands on them? Why immediately escalate something and make it physical? Someone said it right a few pages ago when they mentioned that suburban cops are generally better with the public. People where I live, including myself, have no issues with our police force. A far cry from life back in the big city.