PANAMA CITY — Sheriff Frank McKeithen is asking the Bay County Commission to pay for up to $40,000 in overtime costs to patrol what law enforcement is dubbing a “Freaknik” event next weekend at the Palms Conference Center.
In a letter to the commission dated Tuesday, McKeithen wrote the event initially was promoted on YouTube as “The Freaknik,” the sheriff’s letter states, but that video is no longer available. McKeithen wrote that to ensure his office has adequate resources in place, he plans to activate an additional 50 deputies on April 24 and April 25 to include possibly requesting mutual aid from surrounding counties.
He outlined up to $40,000 in overtime costs and also asked for an extension of ordinances that banned drinking on sandy beaches and in parking lots, cut off alcohol sales at 2 a.m. and prohibited entry to people under 21 years of age from entering clubs that serve alcohol. Those ordinances were scheduled to expire Friday at midnight.
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The commission will vote on the requests at Tuesday’s meeting.
“I am concerned with this event due to the issues we have experienced during Spring Break, and past issues in other communities related to Freaknik,” McKeithen stated in his letter to commission chairman Guy Tunnell.
McKeithen stated in his letter that a YouTube video promotes the Beach event as “the biggest party of the year,” and states that “Southeast Georgia will be taking over Panama City.”
“We had significant issues with similar events at the Palms Conference Center during Spring Break, and worked with Bay County fire and Code Enforcement to maintain order at this event,” McKeithen wrote in his letter.
But Michael Sinsheimer, the manager of The Palms Conference Center, said their conference center has been rented out by groups during Spring Break and deputies were there without problems.
“We’ve had several events there with no arrests, no one getting hurt in the last six weeks,” he said.
But Bay County Sheriff’s Maj. Tommy Ford said the Sheriff’s Office has had problems at the conference center over Spring Break. He said in events from March 13-15, numerous deputies went to the center as it became overcrowded with patrons who were parking everywhere around the center, many illegally — in business parking lots and along Joan Avenue.
“It went from a large number of people there to exceeding the capacity of the building,” Ford said. “There was a very pervasive smell of marijuana. The sheriff called for all available units to come there. We shut down the location.”
He said on the night of March 15 sheriff’s deputies found Sinsheimer in the back of the center putting up a piece of plywood over a plate glass window that was broken with blood all over it.
Events were not allowed to be held on March 20 and March 21 due to the fire code violations, Ford said, but were allowed to reopen March 27.
He said the sheriff is requesting up to $40,000 in overtime but may not use it all. He said the sheriff felt this was needed as a safety precaution based on the way the promoters touted the event on YouTube as “The Freaknik” event.
“My question is if everything is cool, why did they take the video down?” Ford said. “I’ve seen it. It calls for Southwest Georgia to take over Panama City. It lists quite a few communities in Southeast Georgia coming down there.”
Sinsheimer said they are not organizing the April 25 event, just renting out space.
He said the Palm Conference Center cares about the community and participates in community causes.
“The center put on our pancake breakfast at Christmas time for the children’s groups in Panama City and for the foster kids,” he said. “We also are hosting the meetings for the Cancer Society for their walks, so we want to do everything we can to participate” in community causes.
He said the business has shut down its Facebook page because of “threats” from people who don’t want the hall to be rented out for April 25 event.
Previous events: Jaquay Wimbo Wimberly, an organizer of the event, said there is a misunderstanding about the event, which he said has been held at Shuckums for the past three years without incident. He said Shuckums’ owner informed them they didn’t want the event there this year due to the Spring Break controversy.
Mack Carter, the owner of Shuckums, said the group has leased out space at that restaurant for three years with no crime problems.
“I’ve never experienced any problems at Shuckums with any party we’ve had,” he said.
But, he said, he wasn’t allowing Wimberly to hold his event this year because of “pressure” from law enforcement and other officials.
“We just decided it was not in our best interest to have the parties anymore,” he said.
Wimberly said about 300 to 400 people will be attending the party at the center at The Palms next Saturday, and the following day there will be a block party in Georgia.
“It’s like a reunion every year,” he said. “People from this little community in Georgia go to Panama City Beach.”
He said he understands where people are coming from in “trying to protect their community and families,” but his event does not pose a risk to them. “I don’t blame them,” he said.
Wimberly said the “Freaknik” word is used by many event promoters and doesn’t mean they are associated with the groups in Atlanta that committed all the violence.
“I think the Freaknik thing has been blown out of proportion,” he said.
McKeithen pointed out in his letter that “Freaknik” began with an event in Atlanta that started in the mid-1980s and ended in 1996 due to many of “the same issues that we are currently experiencing” with Spring Break crime.
McKeithen quoted a March article in “Atlanta Magazine” that describes the rise and fall of Freaknik: “Freaknik 1995 wrapped up with grim reports. The rape unit at Grady Memorial Hospital treated 10 victims — far more than in a typical weekend. Police made at least 93 arrests and revelers looted stores in Underground Atlanta and Greenbriar Mall. Three people were shot.”
Wimberly and his proposed event have come under fire in numerous comments by members of the PCB Owners Alliance Facebook site, a group pushing for more Spring Break regulations.
Darrell Sellers, the founder of the organization, said the national publicity over the promotion of the event is sullying Panama City Beach’s reputation.
“It’s about what they are marketing — ‘What happens in Panama City Beach stays in Panama City Beach.’ What they are promoting is taking over the city,” Sellers said. “This isn’t about race.”
Many people have posted comments on the alliance Facebook page encouraging Wimberly to not hold the event.
“I’m from Atlanta. I don’t scare easy — not leaving because of a bunch of punk, gangsta thugs. We’re ready for them over here,” Kimberly Luna posted on the Facebook page.
Wimberly replies on the page that most of the people commenting have wrong information about the event.
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“This is two different events in two different states,” he wrote on the alliance Facebook page. “The LBlockPCB4 is a party held in Panama City Beach, which has on an average of 300-400 in attendance. The first three years it was held at Shuckums Oyster Pub. In those three years there has not been one incident nor fight. There (is) always a security team on hand that has years of experience.”
He adds that the Goodson Road block party in Georgia on April 26 will attract 3,000 to 4,000 people. He said some Beach residents were wrong in thinking the block party was going to be held on the Beach.
“We understand everyone’s concerns about safety, so that’s why we have taken steps to make sure everyone has a nice time in a safe manner,” Wimberly wrote on the Facebook page. “The fire marshal themselves in Panama City Beach have been in attendance at one of our events from the time it started till the time it closed and seen how well of a tight ship we run!!!”