According to news sources the hip hop rap concert at PPL arena over the weekend was quite a raucous event. Audience members were supposedly climbing over the seats to get pricer seats than they paid for. The headliner was Fabolous. After the event a street brawl erupted outside at 7th and Hamilton, which resulted in eight arrests, after the Allentown Police called for backup from surrounding police departments.
For a city which wants to make that area a dining destination, perhaps such street theater should be avoided?
The Morning Call actually reviewed the concert as if it was a cultural event. That's like reviewing the clothing fashions worn by gang shooters. Anybody who buys and reads newspapers could care less about what the reviewer thought about the performance. The arena is financed with our state taxes, taxes which have to be made up with more taxes. Why would management rent to an outside promoter and allow such a high risk act? Were they kowtowing to political correctness? The paper then ran a subsequent article, outlining five things that went wrong with the show. There was actually a sixth problem, they should have never allowed the show in the first place.
Hip Hop and gang violence go hand and hand. This is a known entity. City police planners, as well as event staff, should have realized this and planned accordingly. They didn't, and look what happened. The videos were even more disturbing and I must commend the APD street contingent for great restraint. However, I can't say that for the command staff who were terribly off in their planning. [Another reason why this young inexperienced cabal must be removed with seasoned veterans].
ReplyDeleteIn the mid to late seventies, the same type of violence occurred at the Allentown Fair Grounds. At that time, rock concerts and general violence at that facility proliferated. Chief Arthur A. Allender finally got fed up with the violence and injured officers and firmly put an end to the concerts if they didn't hire a large contingent of off duty officers and overtime for the ones on duty. The police presence alone deterred the agitators and the extra costs in police security ended these raucous affairs.
In the instant case, this was not planned or executed. The inexperience of the current police administration is brought on by the Pawlowski DROP pension program that prevented natural progression of police officers through the ranks and put unqualified police commanders in charge. As I said before, Pawlowski was a detriment to public safety and his short-comings in lone range law enforcement planning must be addressed!
Cook County Announces Task Force To Fight Cemetery Violence
ReplyDeleteCHICAGO (CBS) — Violence at cemeteries, and during funeral processions, in Cook County is increasing.
A Hillside police chase is just one example of some of the violence. Chief Joe Lukaszek says three guns were recovered from the stolen SUV, which had just left a cemetery.
“There’s no respect for the dead anymore,” he said.
Cemeteries in Hillside are the final resting place for many gang members killed in Chicago. Funeral processions from the city often end up on the expressways, which lead to dangerous situations.
“People, literally, are jumping on other sides of the road, driving next each other, weaving in and out of traffic, guns being waived out of cars. There’s been shots fired from vehicles, as well,” Sheriff Tom Dart said.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/03/01/cook-county-funeral-violence/
And this has what to do with a concert in Allentown?
DeleteOh..wait...I think I know
I am very disappointed on you jumping on this bandwagon of lies.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, outside departments were on the scene before the event ended. This is KNOWN as profiling. Second, there were no incidents inside the concert. If people left seats and it was a problem inside security would have jumped in.
3. There was 8 people arrested afterward. Out of 3,000. Not a big ratio out of 3,000! Most were women.
Chuckie and Pete's was packed afterward. No problems there.
Very disappointed that YOU, along with the city police department, the Morning Call and WFMZ...jump right into the profiling game.
Damn Mike, I thought you were better than that!
And Michael,
ReplyDeleteIt may not be YOUR cultural event it was 3,000 attendees cultral event.
Your whole article reeks of stereotyping, profiling and worst of all racism.
At least John Moser was professional enough to just do a music review!
Look at the other 2 comments already. Stir that racial pot! A 'dining destinaton'?? With an ARENA?? Dining for white folk from Macungie ONLY!
Fake news making up lies to get ratings. First the hip hop concert had nothing to do with the fight that happened out side. You looking someone to blame and it’s the hip hop community and your wrong for that. Just like in the 80’s and 90’s and the news is still talking bad about hip hop and how it promotes violents Which is not true, it’s the news tv shows and movies that promote violents not the music. Get your self checked Morning Calling trying to be NY times
ReplyDeletevalerie@11:10, i'm friendly with a local promoter, imantrek, who doesn't hesitate to call when he finds my posts insensitive to the black perspective.
ReplyDeletehe called!
my post as noted was based on the morning call and other reports, i was not there. I assume that you were?
all reports indicate that people were indeed jumping seats. the reports also state that the outside departments were called after the fights started. Imantrek states that the outside departments could not have responded so fast, and were there before the trouble. more importantly, he pointed out that if these fights occurred outside the maingate or the former catch 22, there would have been calls to close those venues down.
fyi, the report of trouble after the concert was co-authored by john moser, and notes the seat jumping.
while i reject the notion that this post was racist, or that i think the dining venues are for whites, i welcome your comments and any others critical of my point of view.
Trek and I are very much on the same page about this.
DeleteI actually heard about the cops being there from a friend. They were all there BEFORE the show let out. It was a riot or anything close to a riot.
The way you tied in dining means there should never be ANY events there. I was at the Hamilton 2 weeks ago after a game. It was a mess and outside young drunks getting loud with everyone around them. Nary a cop.
Just think: American has virtually shut down all traveling circuses because they are not fair to animals, but.....
ReplyDeletevalerie@2:15, disappointed that you would opine on what occurred, if not present yourself. actually, i do think that 8 arrests for 3,000 people is a high number. I attended two concerts at the sands within the last couple of years with no arrests occurring or expected. (smokey robinson and willie nelson)
ReplyDeleteto say that there is no connection with violence and some hip hop/rap seems naive. to label such speculations as racist seems too easy. people should be concerned with the inner cities being decimated with violence, not worrying about stereotyping.
i'm sure that there are plenty of hip hop shows that are incident free, but apparently this weekend wasn't one of them.
1.Police were in place before the end of the show
Delete2. My sources are very reliable including video
3. And most important...
THERE WAS NO RIOT
Talk about perceptions of the downtown....Valerie said it perfectly!
ReplyDelete“I was at the Hamilton 2 weeks ago after a game. It was a mess and outside young drunks getting loud with everyone around them. Nary a cop.”
After living in Allentown for 40 years, I surely miss the Lehigh Valley with its rich history...but I don’t miss downtown Allentown.
One never ever sees cop cars from three different municipalities PLUS the Pennsylvania State Police after an ice hockey game at the PPL Center, this being the fourth season now that the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have called Allentown home.
ReplyDeleteFans from the rival Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins arrive in great numbers each and every time the Phantoms host their intra-state arch-rivals. They shout gleefully when their team plays well and they grumble about strategies & tactics when their team plays exactly the same way Phantoms fans do with regards to their team. We shake their hands while thanking them for their attendance and their help in providing the PPL Center with a solid sporting 'atmosphere'.
We invite them to our restaurants in the NIZ and assure them that it's because our local economy wants their money, not because the fan base wants their blood.
Hockey Patrons At PPL Center : Go ahead! Stand up and pat yourselves on the back. All the local politicians do it at each and every opportunity seemingly without shame so why shouldn't you once in a while?
ROLF OELER