Nearly 100 alcohol related arrests at BamaJam
Alabama Beverage Control is double-checking IDs at the BamaJam Music & Arts Festival after underage drinkers were caught with armbands indicating they were old enough to drink.
ABC Lt. Jean Turner said there were 95 arrests as of 4 p.m. Saturday and the majority of those arrested were for underage drinking.
“We’re getting kids drinking,” she said. “They do have armbands on. We are stopping people we see with armbands because we learned that people are finding them on the ground or getting them from their friends. They appear to be 21, but they are not.”
Ronnie Gilley said Saturday that he knew of some boot-legged ticket sales but was unaware of the underage drinking problem. He said staff is working hard to keep everyone safe and keep the alcohol out of the hands of younger fans.
As festivalgoers entered the gates at BamaJam, they were encouraged to stop off at the ID checkpoint to get a yellow armband, indicating they were of drinking age. To get an armband, they had to show a picture ID to employees from Event Operations, a private security firm from Birmingham.
Mike Jones, head of Event Operations, said the company brought in an additional 70 workers Saturday to help monitor underage drinking. There were about 225 private security and another 70 local law enforcement officers working BamaJam on Saturday.
“We can’t monitor 100,000 patrons once they pass an ID point,” Jones said. “ABC asked us to ID at the gateways (to the saloon), which we are doing.”
Jones said many of those caught drinking underage were in possession of broken wristbands, which may have been previously discarded or given to them by someone else.
The BamaJam complex, with the exception of the BamaJam Saloon, was open to anyone with a ticket. Those entering the saloon area, where the Budweiser stage is located, had to have an armband.
There were other places to buy alcohol outside the saloon area.
As the crowd began to pick up Saturday afternoon, there were ABC agents throughout the areas where alcohol is being sold.
“We understand the people who are serving here don’t have time to check every ID,” Turner said. “Next year, we will try to work something else out.”
Turner, who said one person pulled a knife on an ABC agent and was arrested Friday night, praised the security company for its work.
“The event staff is working well. It’s a difficult task,” she said. “I checked 50 IDs myself, and they were all of age. They all look 16 years old to me.”
Reader Reactions
BAMASTOCK… THINK ABOUT IT!
tamif…the only one pumped up with money was gilley and he has no concern for the community…everything he does he does for himself. And the local politicians should distance themselves if they want to be re-elected instead of looking like they are in his back pocket. It is advertised as family entertainment. It is NOT family entertainment. I do drink socially but do not want to be around a bunch of drunk rude foul-mouthed people who can ruin a good time listening to music. Anyone who knows anything about gilley, knows it’s all about him and how he can get his name out there. He’s a legend in his own mind. He likes attention..negative or not. Anyone who monopolizes is a dangerous person as far as I am concerned. I don’t care what kind of “stars” come here. I am not star-struck. They are people just like the rest of us. Since this is the great USA, I can voice my opinion and anyone who wants to attend a drunkfest can do so. I do not like someone saying this is a family atmosphere and then pray in front of the crowds…and though God is everywhere, I don’t think He was gloried in anything that went on there.
I can’t help but point out that someone said that the crime rate was 1%. They based that on Sunday’s crowd only. If you take the real 3 day people count of 300,000, total arrests of 132 people, the crime rate for the event was .044%....that’s less than 1/2 of of POINT ONE PERCENT. That figure is phenomenal. I agree there were some drunk people there, and took every opportunity to point out to my 12 year old son every one of them and say, “that’s why you never drink more than 2”. He saw and heard some crazy and sad things, and he saw how “stoopid” you look when you’re drunk and how obnoxious people sound when they cuss every other word. A very good learning experience and we had some good laughs over how dumb they looked. I knew when we went in that we would see heavy drinkers, that’s to be expected. Therefore I can’t be offended. The cursing of F and GD really get on my nerves and I wish people wouldn’t be so ignorant, but I tolerated it because that’s just the way it is. I wouldn’t have went if I expected otherwise.
I wouldn’t go if there wasn’t alcohol. Makes some of the bands sound so much better. The only thing that would make it better is if we were all butt nekked… Woodstock all over… who needs the kids there???
Could everyone please stop being so negative towards Bama Jam?
First of all, the children… I would NEVER take my child to a concert/ music fest. The same thing happens at everyone of them (BamaJam, Mullet Festival, Peanut Festival, etc). If its a “MUST” that you bring your children, stay with them in the kiddie area… they did have those, you know.
And for the potty’s… they were SEVERAL of those scattered around EVERYWHERE… yes, I had to stand in line, but hey…What do you expect???
The way people dress at an event, is honestly..their own business. If they would like to walk around half naked, flab hanging out from every side…then let them. I myself went to BamaJam, I was not one of the half dressed folks, but did indeed drink a little while I was there. Believe it or not folks, alcohol brings in the big bucks. For all of the “snots” who are against it, don’t bother showing up. Yes, the prices of food was a little crazy…but that is at any festival. At least they have fascets around for FREE water. You guys must have never seen much around Panama City and Destin. They are tens times as bad as what you people are complaining about. As for the trash cans, there were several of them around…its just that some people are just too sorry to put their trash in them. No one seemed to complain about cigarette smoke. I myself can not stand smoke, but if I put myself in a place that I know will contain it…it’s too bad. This should be the same with alcohol.
And honestly folks, 100 arrest out of 121,000 people… that is amazing! That shows that security has done their job.
As soon as I arrived on Friday, there were two young boys being arrested. And then again on Saturday afternoon, I witnessed several officers escorting an older gentleman out of the saloon after the ladies refused to sell him anymore alcohol. I believe that this is a successful event. I will be back next year, no doubt about it… I have already purchased my tickets. 
I DEFINATLY AGREE THIS SHOULD OF BEEN AN ADULT ONLY EVENT, BUT 21 AND OLDER, ISN’T THAT THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE? IF THERES ALCOHOL BEING SOLD THERE, THEN THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO OVER DO IT AND ARE STUPID, AND KIDS SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED, SUCKS FOR THEM, BUT ITS THE TRUTH, I WAS THERE AND THERE WAS ALOT OF RUDE DRUNK PEOPLE THERE I WAS DRINKING MYSELF, BUT I DID NOT OVER DO IT, AND HAD A DESIGNATED DRIVER…. BUT TOO MANY PEOPLE, TOO MANY DRUNKS, SO I WONT BE BACK, BUT I DID ENJOY SEEING ALOT OF GOOD SINGERS!!! AND THERE WAS A FEW NICE PEOPLE THERE TOO, BUT REGARDLESS I WONT BE BACK.
I only have one comment regarding this “concert” and that is, WHERE WERE THE TRASH CANS?? When WTVY had live coverage, there was trash all over the ground. Says alot about you.
I think a concert event is fine like this but I have a problem with the excessive drinking, foul language and half dressed people that think everyone wants to see their flabby tattoos.
The majority acted right I’m sure but it is on the event people to ensure that the venue attracts the right kind of people into our community.
Half dressed girls on stage doesn’t really say “Family Entertainment” either.
I hate the fact that I am considered mature enough to die for my country over seas, but not mature enough to drink a beer at a festival. Its ridiculous. Bama Jam is a huge entertainment event for all of the country. I myself talked to people from Minnesota and New York. I think most of the nay-sayers are just used to not doing anything and when an event comes in that is an inconvenience for them, they want it gone. And if the man who died, died at his own house, would it still be Ronnie Gilly’s fault??? I dont think so.
You are free to throw your own music festival.
Even though I didn’t go, I think it was a good thing overall for the area. This area is not used to concerts and famous people coming on a scale like that. And even if there were some arrests, compared to the total number that attended it wasn’t all bad. The only problem I could see was the numbers. Too many people is what caused us not to attend. But this is with any concert…
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