Lowrider show no trouble for police

Few cruiser problems reported in Maryvale

Meghan Moravcik
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 11, 2004 12:00 AM

Phoenix police were prepared for the worst during Labor Day weekend's lowrider car show, but they were pleasantly surprised.

They expected thousands of people in thousands of vehicles to cruise around Maryvale after last weekend's events to show off their low-riders, drink alcohol and blast music. They based their predictions on past shows.

"It seemed like there was a lot less activity than in the past," said Phoenix police Sgt. Michael Gyory of the Maryvale precinct, which has a squad to enforce cruising laws year around. "Because of past enforcement, I believe a lot of the folks that would have come over here decided not to come."

During the holiday weekend, the Arizona DUI Task Force made 41 DUI arrests and issued 219 DUI-related citations. Phoenix police made 15 felony arrests, 99 misdemeanor arrests and issued 980 citations for other violations, such as trespassing.

All in all, it was a pretty tame year, Gyory said.

Phoenix police sent 94 officers in 54 police cars out for the occasion - a number Gyory said he doesn't plan to reduce for next year's event.

This is mainly because Maryvale has been a hotbed for cruising for decades, said Councilman Claude Mattox, whose district includes parts of Maryvale.

Mattox, along with Councilmen Tom Simplot and Doug Lingner, has been trying for the past three years to get state legislation passed that would allow police officers to tow vehicles after drivers commit two cruising traffic violations.

Although Phoenix already outlaws cruising, the hassle of having their vehicles towed might make cruisers think twice, Mattox said.

Cruising causes gridlock in the neighborhoods where it takes place, he added, usually severely inconveniencing residents.

"We can count on getting phone calls (from residents) after one of these events," he said.