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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Drugs Hempfest Requests More Cops, Police Say

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Hempfest, the city's annual pot legalization hootenanny, has asked the Seattle Police Department for additional officers to patrol the festival this weekend, says Sergeant Sean Whitcomb.

"It's a surreal situation to be a marijuana festival and request more police at your event, but that's the situation we are in," Hempfest director Vivian McPeak says by phone. For sure, it's a man-bites dog story about an event that had no pot arrests last year but was marked 15 years ago by dozens of stoners led out of the park in handcuffs. But it also demonstrates just how well—maybe too well?—diplomatic relations have gone between Hempfest and police, and between pot activists and a city government (literally every elected official in Seattle is on record supporting pot legalization).

There's no particular threat to public safety, McPeak says. "Last year we felt that there wasn't as much of a presence inside the event as we would have liked, and we were just hoping for a few more patrols per day this year than we got last year," he explains. "There are just a lot of people down there and we like to feel that if something happens, the cops can get there quickly. We just want to err on the side of safety."

Yet in another strange twist, McPeak insists he didn't make the request, nor did Hempfest lawyer Fred Diamondstone. (SPD stands by the assertion that Hempfest did, in fact, request more cops.)

Regardless, the police department says it won't assign more officers. "We believe that we had adequate staffing for Hempfest 2011, and we believe that is going to be sufficient this year," Sergeant Whitcomb explains. "We will ensure that appropriate staffing is in place to ensure the safety of those attending the event."

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Comments (17) RSS

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Yes on 502 is still welcoming volunteers to spread the good word to the Hempfesters. They've got Rick Steves, Pete Holmes, and Alison Holcomb lined up to speechify on their behalf too.

When you're there this weekend, stop by our booth near Main Stage and get some I-502 materials, including our new hand fans to help beat the heat. You can still help us register voters and get the word out, even if you haven't signed up to volunteer in advance.

Yes on 502 hand fans everywhere! Their number is 206-633-2012.

Posted by gloomy gus on August 16, 2012 at 11:13 AM

I am so worried about the ultra-violent potheads.

Not.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on August 16, 2012 at 11:16 AM

Fear of pro and anti 502 protesters going at it since they announced they are neutral maybe? Think less rumble, or west side story, think more herd of cats that will be completely distracted by the 420 joint throw.

Posted by Large Hardon Colluder on August 16, 2012 at 11:18 AM

Too many scary gangbangers and Jugilos for the white bourgeois boheme?

Posted by Sugartit on August 16, 2012 at 11:23 AM

So... they would have liked more cops, but they say they didn't request more cops, but the cops said they were asked but declined? Is this like when Sarah Palin publicly declined to appear at this year's RNC, but no one in the GOP will actually confirm that she was invited in the first place?

Posted by MacCrocodile

on August 16, 2012 at 11:25 AM

How does an event like this not get slapped with breaking the statewide smoking ban? Sure its a park, but its also a venue. You arnt allowed to smoke in beer gardens along the sidewalk, why would you be allowed to smoke in an outdoor venue like this?

Posted by Kinison

on August 16, 2012 at 11:29 AM

Isn't it a bit of 50/50 shot as to whether more police means safer in Seattle?

Posted by Mugwumpt on August 16, 2012 at 11:40 AM

Relax, folks. The Hempfest fliers called out for volunteers for security. And traffic directing. And forklift driving. Which are all great things to do while stoned.

(Also, they requested volunteers for "ambiance." Whatever that means.)

Posted by Jason Josephes

on August 16, 2012 at 11:49 AM

If it's wrong to be turned on by Dom's use of the word "hootenanny", then I don't want to be right.

Posted by brandon on August 16, 2012 at 12:13 PM

it's still funny to me that there's a dude named Vivian.

Posted by Max Solomon on August 16, 2012 at 12:27 PM

Why not organize something like the Q-Patrol for the event?

Posted by HK0 on August 16, 2012 at 12:50 PM

@6- hempfest has beer gardens, and they're smoke-free. The park has no restrictions as of yet.

Posted by Eastpike on August 16, 2012 at 12:56 PM

hempfest is dumb. there, made my utterly useless comment on the stranger for the day.

Posted by occupyseattlealex on August 16, 2012 at 12:57 PM

@10, Wikipedia asserts:

In the United States and other English-speaking countries, some names that were primarily masculine given names are now primarily feminine given names. For example: Alexis, Ashley, Beverly, Evelyn, Hilary, Jocelyn, Kelly, Meredith, Shirley, Shannon, Sharon, Sidney, and Vivian.

In another article:

Saint Vivian was a fifth century French saint and bishop who defended his country against the invasion of the Visigoths.

Use of Vivian for men peaked around 1890.

Posted by rob!

on August 16, 2012 at 12:57 PM

I gotta say, I've always thought Vivian was a rad name for a dude.

Posted by Dominic Holden on August 16, 2012 at 1:08 PM

I rode through Myrtle Edwards yesterday afternoon. It's so nice of Hempfest to fuck up a PUBLIC waterfront park for an entire week (including set-up and breakdown) during the warmest time of the year in Seattle. Hopefully legalization will end this useless annual exercise.

Posted by DOUG.