*** Festival traditions: Parades, cruising and lots of police ***

Wenatchee, Washington -- 04/21/2005
Ah, spring, a time when bees flock to blossoms and
revelers flock to Wenatchee for Apple Blossom Festival.

Along with the crowds come more police.

Wenatchee police are planning their usual stepped-up patrols
for cruising, with about 100 officers -- about two-thirds of whom
will come from agencies outside Wenatchee -- deployed along
The Ave on the Friday and Saturday nights of the April 28-May 8 event.

The cops will be out on both weekends generally from 6 p.m.
Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday, and 6 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday,
Wenatchee police Sgt. John Kruse said.

Last year, there were 120 officers on patrol, and in 2003,
there were about 90. Kruse said in both those years cruising
came and went without the same degree of mayhem that has
marred past events.

He said that was due to the increased law enforcement presence
and additional publicity about the patrols. A hundred cops on the
streets should be enough to keep relative peace again this year,
he said.

"It all depends on how the crowd behaves. Based on how the
crowd has behaved in the last two years, we feel we have enough
officers," he said.

The rule of thumb, he said, is the warmer the weather,
the larger the party crowd.

Matt Fugazzi of the National Weather Service in Spokane said
the tentative forecast for the Apple Blossom weekends is warmer
and drier than average. Highs should be in the mid- to upper 60s
and lows should be around 40 degrees, he said.

Police will be cracking down on disorderly conduct, such as
drunken behavior and fighting, and driving under the influence,
he said.

"We want everybody to have a good time,
but we want people to do it safely," he said.

Police, local business leaders, school officials and hotel operators
have met once a month since February as the Apple Blossom
Festival Public Safety Committee to discuss ways to avoid problems
during cruising.

Kruse said the Wenatchee Valley Hotel-Motel Association will
hire security to patrol the hotels like last year. Kruse also has
recommended that the hotels themselves hire additional guards.

Officials at area schools are "getting the word out to kids," Kruse
said,
with letters about being safe, not using drugs and alcohol, and not
fighting.

Pastors and church volunteers will provide
"safe zones" for youth again, he said.

Kruse said the state Department of Transportation will broadcast
messages on its highway advisory frequency warning Apple Blossom
visitors of the large police presence.

CC - http://www.genesbmx.com/AppleBlossom2005.html

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
All Things Northwest in BMX!
***** Gene`s BMX *****
http://www.genesbmx.com