When an estimated 100,000 concert-goers flood the city during Bamboozle festival weekend, the police plan to enlist the help of 70 officers — 40 more than usual on the busiest weekends.
“The whole city is going to be pretty crowded,” Police Chief Mark Kinmon [pictured above] said. “We have a lot of concerns about the weekend and I think we’re preparing for it well.”
On a typical summer weekend, the Asbury Park Police Department has about 30 cops on duty. During Bamboozle on May 18, 19 and 20, there will be as many as 70 officers working at once, Kinmon said. Festival sponsor Live Nation also will be providing additional security.
“People are going to have to have a lot of patience that weekend,” said Kinmon, who confirmed the 100,000 attendance estimate. “We have not seen anything in the city this size in a long time and when we did, we did not have the business or the residents or the amount of people here that we have now.”
Live Nation will compensate the city for security and equipment costs, city chief financial officer Juan Uribe said. The city is still negotiating its final arrangements with the entertainment company, Uribe said, and event organizers have promised at least $200,000 in revenue to the city. The actual number will likely exceed that, Uribe said.
“We feel [The Bamboozle] is going to be very beneficial to the city in terms of revenue,” Uribe said.
The police department is currently finalizing its operational plan for the event, which includes a traffic plan with emergency routes identified.
One of the biggest challenges will be moving people in and out of the city all weekend, the chief said.
“We’re working with some of the surrounding towns to make sure we keep that flow of traffic going,” he said.
He advised people coming to town that weekend to use alternate forms of transportation like trains, buses and bicycles.
The event will take place in an enclosed area encompassing the street, boardwalk and beach from Fifth Avenue north, and extending west just past Kingsley Street, Kinmon said.
Event organizers Live Nation will provide off-site parking spaces nearby, Kinmon said. Those details are still being finalized.
He advised visitors and residents to avoid driving especially during peak times — from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., when most patrons will be leaving the concerts each night.
For more information on The Bamboozle, click here.
