News

Police team up for Bumstock

By Angela Fiandaca

Posted on April 24, 2003, at 12:00 a.m.

Scott Caparelli

A UMaine student gets a pat-down from Bumstock security last year.

Security is top priority – including undercover officers – during this year’s Bumstock weekend at the University of Maine.

Bumstock, traditionally a two-day festival to celebrate the end of the spring semester, has in recent years become a focal point for local police organziations.

This year’s event, where cooperation from UMaine’s Public Safety department and different security forces such as emergency services, fire departments, local police departments and private security companies will combine to monitor concertgoers, promises to be no different.

“Our role in Bumstock is simply to keep the venues safe so people can go and enjoy themselves. There are many different facets to that,” Bob Norman, Public Safety sergeant, said.

“You have a large amount of people going there over two days, after dark, and we just want to make sure everybody has a safe, fun event,” Laurie Sproul, Public Safety sergeant, said.

Norman has been at every Bumstock since 1973, when he attended college at UMaine.

“It’s been an interesting transition since the time has gone on,” he said. “As it has grown and the times have changed, we have changed our security procedures.”

Outside agencies are brought to the university for Bumstock weekend because of the lack of security staff members on campus to handle the large event.

Norman said the number of people who attend Bumstock could contribute to a dangerous situation if rules are not abided by and if security is not readily available. In past years there have been car accidents and assaults related to Bumstock.

“We learn from the past so we can improve it in the future,” Norman said. “Many years ago, before we started the procedures we have now, there were quite a few problems.”

With more security officers and service workers at the event, there is less of a possibility for fights or accidents to occur, which is why university and Public Safety officials said it is necessary to have as much security as possible.

Adequate security is a necessity in a field that has the capacity to hold 5,000 people, said Cortlynn Hepler, a third-year financial economics major and Bumstock coordinator.

“Most importantly [security] helps maintain control of the mass. If an incident occurs and panic were to set in [it's best to isolate it] and don’t allow it to spread. Security is our blocker,” he said.

“For any event, if you don’t have adequate security you’re setting yourself up for potential problems and for people to be injured and whatnot, and that’s why we do go the extra step to ensure peoples’ safety while they are attending the event,” Sproul said.

With added security officers and emergency workers comes increased costs for Public Safety for the Bumstock weekend. This year’s financial report will not be available until after the weekend, but the numbers will be similar to last year’s budget.

For Bumstock weekend 2002 the total cost was about $51,000. Atlantic Professional Services members aided in security, which cost Student Government $6,000. Public Safety services cost about $2,000, but this number is 20 percent of the total bill from Public Safety. The other 80 percent was covered by the Comprehensive Fee, which is paid by students. This fee totaled about $8,000 according to Susan Ash, the financial affairs office contact person from Student Government.

Ash said she did not know whether Public Safety had placed its request for aid from the Comprehensive Fee before the fund ran out of money this year.

A veteran attendee and Bumstock weekend worker, Norman said the cost is worth it.

“If you don’t have [adequate security] you take a chance that somebody is going to get hurt.”

“Society is at a point where an event the size of Bumstock requires necessary security. Yes, even in Maine,” Hepler said.

Safety precautions may include pat-downs to make sure no weapons are brought into the event area and searches for alcohol and drugs.

Norman said without security the event probably would not take place.

“People definitely wouldn’t have as much fun as they have now.”

Besides safety, fun is also a main goal.

“That is a place where people can go and feel safe and not have to worry about things that happen at other venues,” Norman said.

As a rule of thumb, Norman tests the safety of events like Bumstock on whether he would want his family to attend.

“If my son or daughter was going to a concert, especially in a venue like this, I would want to make sure the person beside them was not going to hurt them,” he said. “If it’s safe for my family, then it’s a good thing.”

Campus Currents: Bumstock