THE COASTAL Empire Fair is supposed to a family-friendly event. People go there each fall to ride the rides, eat things that taste good and soak up the sights and sounds of the midway.
They don’t go there to dodge bullets.
What happened at the fairgrounds late Saturday night, when gunplay erupted between two rival gangs of about two dozen teenagers and sent hundreds running in panic or looking for cover, was intolerable.
Seven people were injured. Luckily, no one was killed. Otherwise, this shoot-’em-up could have been a blood bath.
This outrageous outbreak of violence at the fair, of all places, is the latest in a string of high-profile shootings that began Labor Day weekend. On Monday, it prompted the right kind of tough talk from Mayor Edna Jackson, who made a promise to parents who don’t exercise responsibility with their juvenile-aged children.
“This is a warning to all irresponsible parents: We are going to hold you accountable,” the mayor said at a morning press conference.
Likewise, Metro Police Chief Willie Lovett put the public on notice that his officers were going to deal more aggressively with juvenile misbehavior. “It’s a whole new ballgame now,” he said. “We were just inches away from burying seven people.”
Let’s hope they’re not bluffing.
Brazen lawlessness in a place where thousands of people, including small children, go for a good time must be met with no-nonsense force. It’s time to get tough with violent gangs, not make empty threats that are easily ignored.
Let’s hope the public is united when parents call their aldermen to complain about police harassment because officers are enforcing the city’s Parental Responsibility Act. That law allows authorities to take action against parents who don’t make sure their children stay out of trouble.
Enforcement could be unpopular. But Acting City Manager Stephanie Cutter must hang tough. So must the entire City Council. The city can’t afford to surrender to young hoodlums who have no respect for themselves or others.
Meanwhile, fair organizers are right to take a closer look at improving security.
It’s ironic that the Exchange Club, which has operated this fair for more than 60 years to raise money for youth groups that support positive activities, must deal with violence usually found in high-crime neighborhoods. But it’s now a sad fact of life — if it’s on the streets, it could go anywhere.
Beefing up security on Saturday nights — a big concern already, as some officers working the fair showed up in bullet-proof vests before the shooting — is an option. So are employing metal detectors.
Organizers could close the fair at nightfall, but that means less revenue. They also could require teenaged fairgoers to be accompanied by parents. Unescorted teens who manage to slip in would be shown the exit.
What can’t happen is for everyone to throw up their hands and give up. The Exchange Club can’t let thugs take over their fair. No fair is better than a fair where the public doesn’t feel safe.
But the issue of violence and young people is bigger than the fair. It involves public safety across the city.
The mayor is right. So is the police chief. What happened Saturday night was a wake-up call. It should be a whole new ballgame.