GILROY
– Police and Garlic Festival officials are crediting improved
communications and well-behaved patrons for the low number of
criminal incidents at the 25th annual Garlic Festival.
During the festival’s three days, law enforcement officials made
only four felony arrests
– one of the lowest totals in history.
GILROY – Police and Garlic Festival officials are crediting improved communications and well-behaved patrons for the low number of criminal incidents at the 25th annual Garlic Festival.
During the festival’s three days, law enforcement officials made only four felony arrests – one of the lowest totals in history.
“We spent a good amount of time studying what needed to be done, and it worked out as well as we could’ve hoped,” said Gilroy Police Department Sgt. John Sheedy, who oversaw a team of nearly 50 Gilroy, Watsonville, Salinas and Morgan Hill police and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies who patrolled the festival. “I was very impressed by the behavior of the crowd.”
The most heated incident during the festival came on Friday afternoon when a San Jose man hit a festival volunteer in the face with a tin beer mug.
Police later arrested 58-year-old Ralph Mix of San Jose for felony assault with a deadly weapon. The confrontation took place in the parking lot near the amphitheater and left a large gash in the volunteers face, according to Sheedy.
Mix was transferred to Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose.
“Apparently the volunteer did something the guy didn’t like and the suspect lost it,” Sheedy said. “It’s safe to say it was alcohol fueled.”
Alcohol also fueled a spattering of brawls near the park side’s beer tents on late Saturday afternoon.
Three men were arrested for obstructing justice following the fights and a number of others were kicked out of the festival.
A number of undercover state Alcohol and Beverage Control officials sited 11 minors for drinking under age Friday and Saturday but none on Sunday.
The GPD cited five minors for alcohol possession on Friday and Saturday, including one for providing false information to an officer.
The GPD also wrote one drunk-in-public ticket and state parole and probation officers picked up one man with a felony warrant.
“All I can say is fantastic,” said Garlic Festival security chairman Mike Smith. “A lot of people did a great job to make sure this was a fun and safe time for everyone.”
On top of the nearly 50 law enforcement officers patrolling the festival grounds, 25 private security officers kept an eye on Christmas Hill Park. A handful of state parole and probation officers and ABC officials worked the festival each day.
Police and security ejected a total of 24 patrons during the weekend for violating festival rules.
First-aid personnel said no major injuries were reported at the festival.
James Mason, station chief for the Santa Clara Valley American Red Cross based in San Jose said his team treated a number of patrons with heat-related health problems during the festival. The only other treatments were for minor cuts and bruises, Mason said.
