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Subscribe to RSSPolice said Monday they confiscated about $1.2 million in illegal drugs and more than $68,000 in cash from concertgoers.
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Thank God someone is keeping Phish fans in check.
Yes, we can all feel a little safer now that the stoners have been liberated of their wealth...
I feel so much safer now that those dangerous Phish fan are behind bars. Great use of police resources and tax payer money.
NOT!
You guys just don't get it, do you?
Those 'Phish freaks' were using drugs. Have you seen the violence being perpetuated in Mexico over drugs?
Sure, they're just a bunch of stoners for now, but do you want to be responsible when those hippies reach critical mass? Just try to imagine what might happen if Phish fans started getting serious.
Some of you seem to have a dim view of law enforcement. It's not like these police departments are raiding innocent citizens in order to fund their operations.
These are Phish fans.
We "get" it Mimfort.
The violence surrounding drugs is entirely due to their illegality. Ever heard of Prohibition? Before and after it, there was no violence associated with the booze trade. Only when it was illegal did a black market grow and flourish, its the same with drugs.
Don't you wonder why its perfectly ok to have millions of people popping Paxil and Prozac and Viagra, but smoking weed is illegal? Do you even question such idiocy? Its because people can't make their own Paxil, but they can grow their own weed, therefore there is no profit for the almightly corporate masters.
Do a little research and you'll find that all societies, even primitive ones such as the ancient Aztecs and modern day Aborigines, find ways to alter their consciousness. People are going to do it whether you outlaw it or not, and by making soft drugs like pot a criminal offense you create the very cynicism you decry about the lack of respect for law enforcement. The law is stupid and counterproductive and should not be respected.
The law enforcement system is set up to reward departments financially for busting drugs, it has NOTHING to do with public safety.
How are modern day Aborigines smeared as "primitive"?
Complacent much?
There are needle parks all over Switzerland, yet no one ever knocks them for drug abuse or calls their society "backward".
Mimford, what is your problem. Blame our government and their war on drugs for the violence, not phish fans. They just want to chill, listen to music, eat some grilled cheese and relax. Sounds like you could use some of the same.
That is too funny, lol. Getting serious. Sounds like the police were "getting serious" They should have to return the money.
caraober,
The comment about Aborigines was not meant as a smear, it was used to illustrate that all societies, no matter how modern or westernized, find ways to alter their consciousness. I have no idea why that makes me "complacent", and you seem to be looking to be offended. Primitive or modern, does not make a statement about the value or relative goodness of each society.
Nice job avoiding the topic at hand, though.
Irony, guys. My problem is when people can't identify irony.
I was pointing out how silly it all is (Or tragic, or evil).
The net really does need a "sarcasm" font, doesn't it Mimfort? Your problem is that you're too good at irony, it was too believable.
:)
Legalize it. Stop enriching the police state and gansters.
I've never seen reports for previous shows. Is this an extraordinarily high amount of police seizures and arrests?
It says the cops confiscated $1.2 m in drugs and took $68K cash. I find it hard to beleive that 194 arrested people had $1.2 million in drugs ($500 a joint?) and why was non drug related cash taken? Sounds like a shakedown to me. That's why the Dead quit playing Hampton.
i think there are many other bands that refuse to play Hampton. i'm in Hampton Roads and i can tell you there were a lot of locals that were just sitting back and waiting to see how the cops here would come out of the woodwork to work over the people who traveled for the show. sad, sad, sad.
When has ANYBODY ever known 194 "hippies" to ever have $194 dollars in TOTAL amongst themselves much less $1.2 million????
AND I TOTALLY agree that The law enforcement system is set up to REWARD departments financially for busting people for any violation of the law at all and it has NOTHING at all to do with public safety.
Nuff said.........
What a waste of taxpayer money!! While people are being raped, killed and burglarized, VA decides to arrest a bunch of hippies for having a good time. The priorities of this country are so out of whack....
And the $1.2 mm is such a lie! The government loves to exagerate their amounts to make it seem like a big deal. In reality, they probably confiscated a couple lbs of weed and some ecstasy pills.
I feel much safer walking the streets knowing these stoners are in jail...too bad I might get robbed by the real criminals who avoided the Phish show.
Is the Hampton PD related to that South Carolina redneck sheriff who had it in for Michael Phelps? I too thought the numbers sounded funny. I doubt it was 1.2 million worth of drugs...probably more like $1000 worth...maybe.
I was drawing the same parallel. This is out of control. These are the people who are supposed to be looking out for our wellbeing? Scary that this is what they're so concerned about.
These are the same idiots that bash doors down in the night looking for pot.
Sick.
It's profiling plain and simple.I believe even Jerry Garcia commented on Hampton and it's(selective) law enforcement.75.000 people in that town in the winter is an early present for local businesses and authorities are going to pull some crap like that.Thats gotta piss off local business owners .Bands will not want to play there if it alienates fans.Stoned or not, if these people(194 arrestees) had 68k on them imagine how much the rest had.If bands start cancelling tour dates maybe the mayor will wake up.If he feels it in the city's bank account that'll speak volumes. 68k is a drop in the bucket compared to total revenues when 75 k come to town for three days
those 75k people are 'imports'. the locals were very apprehensive about going. we know how the PD there works, trust me.
If only Bernie Madoff were a dope smokin Phish fan, he would be in jail and penniless instead of in a penthouse and rich. Destroy the lives of thousands and the powers that be will protect you , smoke a little weed and dance and your a menace to society, very sad
You've said it so well we can all go home now!
nice response
This is just bad reporting. First, the headline suggest 1.2 million in cash was confiscated when in fact that's the amount of drugs that were reported confiscated. The street values the police use for these estimates always seems to be a bit out of line with the actual street value of drugs. Second, the report suggests that Phish hired 200 police officers who made these busts. Of course not. Phish hired off-duty police officers to provide security at their event. These off duty police officers did not make these busts. The busts were performed by on-duty police officers who were not on the bands' payroll. Go, AP, go!
This is proof that people in in the future will laugh at our stupidity. Our society is so laughable it's percieved "freedom". We're not even free to do to ourselves as we please!
That's a misleading headline. There are lots of shady people that follow Phish around but that doesn't make them "fans".
You mean there were drugs at a Phish concert?(or any concert for that matter)
So, if the numbers are correct, between the 194 arrestees, they each had about $6185 in drugs and $350 cash, EACH? I just don't think it's physically possible each of these people was carrying that much in drugs on them, and if there was that kind of drug saturation, and you know the cops aren't competent enough to catch them all... where is the companion article about all the people who died or became criminally insane at this event? Because that's why it's illegal right? right? Just sounds like the cobs robbed a bunch of tourists, maybe they should be the ones sitting in jail.
i find it hard to beleive that any concert goer had that kind of cash on them. not after having to pay the exorbitant hotel fees to stay in the area. local CL had locals advertising their own rooms for rent to the tune of $500/night when the hotels all sold out. if there were that many people there, i doubt they all got a great deal on hotel room rates...
Since when did the cops get the right to steal all of your money, in addition to stealing your drugs (some of which may end up being resold by crooked police)? Is there no respect left for private property? I thought that was a core conservative belief - and it was once a core American belief. Does this mean they can now focus on rich-looking kids as being a more cost-effective use of police resources?
So they can take your money, your car, your natural herbs, your freedom. Do they also get to "have their way" with your female companions?
The drug forfeiture laws allow the police to confiscate cash, cars, houses - you name it - anything that is associated with the arrested individual effort to move the drug if the charge is possession with the intent to distribute. It makes a ton of money for the law enforcement agencies and they just love it. Given the relatively little amount of drugs required for a possession with intent to deliver charge, in most states supplying your brother-in-law with an ounce of pot is enough to forfeit your car as you bring it by.
Now, why can the drug forfeiture laws apply to Madoff et al., and the CEO's and executives of the banks and Wall Street that brought us the meltdown? Engage in financial fraud and you lose your cash, cars, houses, boats, investment accounts, and anything else that is conceivably connected to efforts to swindle people. Now that's a law I could respect.
I like how this is National news. I am sure the police department is patting themsleves on the back for this. What kind of drugs did they seize? Pot, acid, mushrooms?? oohh society is so much safer now.
What a waste of taxpayer money.
So, Phish paid for the law enforcement to arrest their own fans? That doesn't sound right. Legalize weed and their would be no problems and less of a drug war, cocaine not withstanding. Remember, they only got arrested for drug possession, not any criminal act, which is a disgrace to the freedom of this country. Plus, you get a bonus of tax revenue and job creation. Take it easy Mimfort, you sound like a paranoid narc. People like pot, get over it.
Just think how much money could have been made on taxation of those drugs...
What a joke...
After the big bust, the boys went out for a few drinkie-poos. THAT's good,clean living. Alcohol is cool, haven't you seen the commercials ?
And drove themselves home drunk because cops live by the standard of the law does NOT apply to me and YOU are to do as I say (or I will arrest you) and NOT as I do.
Don't you just LOVE a double standard.........especially when that "standard" is enforced by judges who are as "corrupt" as the police they serve and only see YOU as a cash register/ATM machine to keep their wives in "bling" and to keep their "kids" attending Harvard Law School.
This entire country's legal system is SO corrupt......... that, to me, it has become frightening to even drive a car or walk down the street anymore without wondering IF I am breaking some sort of NEW law that the cops have dreamed up just to BUST and shake YOU down for even more money since they KNOW you will be willing to pay almost anything to stay out of jail.
There is such a growing swell of revolution amongst the people who have finally had it with the corruption of cops & judges these days you can feel it. It is just a matter of time...........
Nuff said.........
Stop the hypocrisy of our government leaders swearing to defend the U.S. Constitution and then trashing it!
We need to force our leaders to defend our unalienable rights equally. To legalise alcohol and prohibit less harmful recreational, performance enhancing and nutritional chemicals is to deny equal freedom to all citizens. Why are some citizens more equal than others. Why are the freedoms they consider valuble protected and the freedoms that others consider important pissed on? Unalienable rights are not subject to the will of the majority, otherwise we would all be forced to conform to the personal morals of the religion that had the most members.
If I don't like it, then you cain't do it.
Now wait a minute here...
200 law enforcement officers worked the weekend event, and they were paid by the band? So then they go around busting people and confiscating all that dangerous stuff...
Y'know... somehow "I told you so" just doesn't seem to cut it...
Hopefully the cops went back to the station, ingested the good stuff, and played 2/27/69 Dark Star.
Ha! Nice! I would have went with Cornell '77 myself. Can't wait to see them in Pittsburgh! Never had much of a problem in the Burgh.
This article is ridiculous! I was there all 3 nights and there is no way $1.3M was siezed. I hope they are not counting those nasty dealers from NY?NJ?DC and other major metro areas that came in for the show to make a buck. How about do a story on the @!$%#s who raped phans at $200+ a ticket? Or better yet, how about the 5 guys who got busted for selling fake tickets to phans. They were busted w/ over $75,000 in fake tickets and about $50,000 in cash?
Or even better, write an article on how, despite the brutal, cruching economy, phans of this 4 peice band named Phish came into town and helped raise the local economy by millions of dollars? An estimated 75,000 fans, staying an average of just 2 nights in area hotels (I stayed 3 and some friends stayed 4) at an average of $100 per night (some les, many definitely more) comes to $15M JUST in hotel stays alone! Now think about all the gas money spent, food, alcohol, attractions, cabs, and other miscellaneous expenditures and that figure will probebly jump up to $25M or more for the local economy. Not to mention all the money spent on tickets and back home in preparation for the shows (I alone had to rent a car, get road food, gas, new dancing shoes, alcohol, and other small items coming out to around $400 before I even left!).
Maybe next time the AP will focus in on the positives of the Phish scene and not the negatives.
ps-and for Mimfort....get a life....if you really knew the Phish scene and its phans you would know that if we "got serious" as you put it, the country would be a whole lot better off....love, peace, and good tunes would rule...not hate, bigotry, and disgust for that which we do not understand......
Irony, my friend.
I didn't think that anyone could read what I wrote and actually think that it was sane and logical. I'm trying to point out how ridiculous it is to even hold such a belief.
Many local law enforcement branches have turned to outright shakedown of innocent citizens in order to keep themselves and their families fed. This sort of thing becomes systemic (And I think it already has).
I was poking a little bit of fun at Phish fans (Being a moe. fan, myself), but I wasn't aware that my attempts to sound like a fascist nutjob were so convincing.
Mimfort, lol well you need to show that. Some people really say that kind of stuff. I looked at other comments you made as well, but since there was not many i had little to go on.
You were a pretty convincing nutjob, but now you are sounding more sane.
That is the truth. I think that is one of the big reasons many people distrust the police. Hopefully in the future for both economic and practical reasons the drug laws can be changed so citizens are not pitted against the police in such a horrible manner.
Mimfort is painting with a pretty broad brush when indicting all "Phish Fans". 0.0025% is a pretty small percentage of busts. And WTF is a hippie anyway? Phish fans, like Grateful Dead fans are dominated by smart, adventurous, sophisticated, professional people of all sorts (doctors, lawyers, plumbers, politicians, students, demcorats, republicans, and, yes, even some smelly dropouts). Of course knuckle draggers like Mimfort, whom evolution has somehow skipped over, tend to think in generalizations and have a worldview manufactured for them by the thought police, crowding out any capability they might have for original and/or critical thinking. How does it feel, Mimfort, to know that these dirty stinking hippies known as Phish fans are about 5 rungs further up on the evolutionary ladder than you are?