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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

In Ocean City, Open Beer in Public Now Can Lead to Arrest

Note to summer vacationers: Drinking a beer in public in Ocean City can now get you arrested, even if you're older than 21.

On Monday night, at the direct request of the Ocean City Police Department, the Ocean City Town Council unanimously passed an "emergency ordinance" to change the punishment for possessing an open alcohol container in public from a municipal infraction to a misdemeanor offense.

The new ordinance, effective immediately, returns the town's laws to what they were before 2008, and gives police officers in the town the ability — though not the mandate — to arrest people drinking outside, according to Police Chief Bernadette DiPino.

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lol ok.

Anonymous said...

Just going to piss a lot of tourists off.

Anonymous said...

So you can't drink a beer in OC in public but you can fondle your gay partner if you go to the beach in Rehoboth.

Anonymous said...

That's the way it used to be before it became a municipal infraction.

Anonymous said...

They have to add new laws for the lawless crowds that now go to Ocean City ,it has become a trashy Hell Hole

Anonymous said...

This law give inexperienced cops WAY too much latitude.
It is a ridiculous ordinance anyway.

Anonymous said...

Lol well for the past I don't know 20 years all i have known OC for is partying and bars. Thats what happens when everyone wants a piece of the pie and you have 30 bars in a 10 mile radius.

Anonymous said...

Just avoid Ocean City it is one big sewer,its not a place to your family.

Anonymous said...

I think as long as your sitting on a balcony or porch it shouldn't matter??
I'm not sure if it does or not, but if you're drinking on a houses property it should be at your responsibility, not the cops. walking down the sidewalks i could understand though..

Anonymous said...

This is so retarded. There are so many places down south where you can go and walk around outside with a drink. Why not just arrest the stupid drunk people and leave everyone else alone. I have lived here my entire life and am so disappointed in the leaders of our lower eastern shore. Berlin is, in my opinion, the only place that seems to have some type of clue on how to do things. Maybe i should move? hmmmmm

TDT

Anonymous said...

Weel watch them whine when business falls off. They will get what they deserve. Comandant DiPino you have blown this one!

Anonymous said...

10:27 am

DiPino has blown lots of peop...ooops I mean things

Anonymous said...

Wasn't there something a few (or more) years ago about the OCPD scaling a building to bust a couple smoking pot on their balcony. I think there may have been some kind of lawsuit. I hope they don't start arresting people for having a drink on their balcony.

walking boozer said...

the dipino money machine is alive and well in oc