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More than 25,000 detail requests a year keep cops busy By Chet Williamson It's festival season. In fact, the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the City of Worcester have designated the time stretching from the Latin American Festival through September as "Fall Fest 2007." And why not? Between the Latin American Festival, the Blackstone Canalfest, Pet Rock, stART on the Street, the African Cultural Festival and Gay Pride, every weekend there is some kind of major event booked. As Erin Williams, the city's cultural development officer puts it, "Worcester is abuzz with creative activity this fall."  A Worcester police officer works traffic detail on Major Taylor Boulevard on Wednesday. "It's really expensive," he says. "The detail requires four police officers — one at each end of the street, one for alcohol and one for circulation. Last year we paid almost $3,000 for coverage." That's cheap compared to some. Coordinators of the stART on the Street Festival that happens from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Park Avenue between Chandler and Elm streets, say that event will cost $6,000 in police details. On the other end of the spectrum, the Latin American Festival paid $21,000 for its police detail this year. 
The African Cultural Festival is a one-day festival that goes from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. This year's event is the third annual and happens Saturday, Sept. 16, at 33 Canterbury St. Igwenagu says while he has no problem with the cops, he questions cost policies. "It costs so much to have officers here," he says. "It's good, but at the same time if only the city could look into keeping the costs down. If you are paying the city $3,000 for police coverage and you don't have money to pay the artists, then what's the point? This year might be the same thing. It's a big budget for a small festival. "The city wants this," Igwenagu says. "You have to get out there and work to get people into the city, but at the end of the day you look at the expense and most of the cost is just associated with police coverage. Sometimes you wonder if it is all worth it." According to Lt. Michael Vacca of the Worcester Police Department, officers assigned to details are paid a rate of $40.52 per hour. After 8 p.m., the rate goes up to time and a half. There is also a contractual agreement of a 4-hour minimum for each detail. Police details are coordinated out of the Details Office at WPD, which is staffed by two officers and two assistant administrators. Vacca says the city gets calls for more 25,000 details a year. That includes everything from bars, bingo and bazaars to strikes and protests. o
| Anatomy of a police detail Lt. Michael Vacca works with Sgt. Michael Towner. They are tasked with assigning a police detail to the Canal Diggers 5K, a road race that organizers say celebrates the "contributions that early Irish immigrants made to the creation of the Blackstone Canal." The route begins at the corner of Green and Temple streets and proceeds through the entire Green Island neighborhood before heading downtown and back to Green Street. It's no easy event to navigate. "It is logistically a nightmare," says Towner, looking at a map of the route stretched out on the back of the cruiser. "The coordinator is guessing he'll need 22 officers for this race. I'm not so sure about that." After highlighting the course in red pen, Towner says, "OK, lieutenant, let's drive." When asked if there is a mandatory number of officers who have to be at any one particular event, Towner says, "No, it goes on a case-by-case basis. It's the officer's discretion and it's more common sense than anything." Driving down Green Street, Vacca and Towner begin assessing the intersections to determine if a police officer or a volunteer is needed to direct traffic. As they enter Kelley Square, Towner says, "Lieutenant, pull over here please. The coordinator recommends two officers. I say four." Vacca says, "The busiest intersection in the city and he wants only two officers?" "Yeah, and you know what else?" Towner asks. "The arts festival is also happening on that day and people will be coming into the city for that." After driving down Harding and up Millbury streets through Kelley Square onto Water Street, Vacca says, "Sunday morning at 11 a.m. on Water Street, what do you think?" Towner answers by saying, "I talked to [event coordinators] about accommodating businesses. They assured me that they would talk to them in advance." By the time the officers reach Union Station, they already match the number 22 that coordinators estimate. "Other than the fact that this is on a Sunday morning, there's no way they could do this," Towner says. "It would be out of the question." The 5K route still has to make its way into downtown with all its intersections to negotiate and then down Franklin before ending at the Providence & Worcester Railroad bridge at the mouth of Wall Street. Pulling up in front of a curb at the finish line, Towner says, "I count 34 patrolmen and one commanding officer for a total of 35." When asked about the issue of money, Vacca says, "We are not here to make money," he says. "We do our best to accommodate people. I come in and I do what I'm told. I follow department policy." Towner chimes in, adding, "We are not looking at numbers. We look at the issue of safety." o —C.W. |
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