(From Findlay Police Chief James Mathias)
The Findlay Police Department has been working with the event organizer of the monthly downtown cruising on Main St. in the City of Findlay, OH for months again this year. These events started up during COVID19. These monthly events were canceled recently due to public safety; the amount of reckless driving and all of traffic violations that were occurring, the slow moving traffic and/or blocking lanes of traffic on Main St. for the timely responses of all first responders to calls for service, and maintaining open State Routes traffic through our City for persons traveling through our City. The Findlay Police Department were holding several people accountable for their actions with several different ways of enforcement efforts along with surveillance in these areas, but these enforcement efforts were not solving the problems.
Public safety is priority for all operators of vehicles and pedestrians involved that were attending these events. We encouraged awareness for all persons attending. These cruises on public roadways and also on private property along Main St. and have caused numerous issues within the downtown area and multiple traffic laws were not being observed by the participants. Numerous complaints from the public have occurred during and after most of these events on all of the different types of violations that they have observed. The constant movement of vehicles, often at reduced speeds, creates gridlock and impedes normal traffic, affecting residents trying to navigate their daily commutes or access local businesses. Loud music, revving engines, and honking associated with cruising can create excessive noise pollution, disturbing residents and impacting their quality of life. Cruising can sometimes escalate into street racing, increasing the risk of serious injuries and even fatalities for participants and innocent bystanders. Cruising can lead to acts of vandalism, littering, and property damage in areas where it takes place. Cruising has been associated with criminal activity; including fighting, loitering, trespassing, and other offenses, leading some cities to ban cruising altogether. While cruising may generate business for some merchants, the traffic congestion and related issues can deter other customers, impacting the overall economic health of the area.
These events were becoming unmanageable to the cost of overtime of Findlay Police Department personnel, along with additional assistance of from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for some additional enforcement. We attempted multiple times to work with this group of participants, but these reasonable efforts and communications failed. These cruising events are a community problem and not solely a police matter, so we attempted effective communications and support; but these efforts failed. There are organized events with multiple car shows in our area to offer alternatives to these types of events, but these efforts have also failed.
As a result, we effectively addressed this issue this past weekend through a multi-faceted approach involving community engagement on social media, enforcement of ordinances, traffic management, and planning interventions involving multiple agencies. We also addressed gatherings of vehicles that were parking and/or operating recklessly on private property near cruising locations that required property owner authorization along with posting of barricades and signage for enforcement of parking laws and possibly trespassing.
Balancing the desire for social gathering and expression with the legitimate concerns of the public and the need for safe and efficient travel remains a challenge for local authorities in areas experiencing cruising activity. We encourage these participants to work with us for a positive solution in the near future.
James Mathias
Chief of Police
Findlay Police Department
