Sacramento dodged a bullet, barely, with the city's first New Year's ball drop at 10th and K. This uncontrolled crowd situation was marred by pockets of disorder. If Mayor Kevin Johnson and event organizers want people to come back a second time, they need to do a post-event analysis – and much, much better planning for 2010.
While the traditional Old Sacramento fireworks and revelries along the riverfront provided the usual family-friendly event, the scene on K Street was another story.
While most of the teen and 20-something crowd was there to have a good time, there were people looking for trouble. Many came intoxicated or became intoxicated on the street. After 11:30 p.m., there was a huge crowd push, with no way for people to move or leave, which could have led to crushes and stampedes. There were fights and some destruction of property.
The lesson: Crowds do not manage themselves. Yet for this first ball drop, 12,000 to 20,000 people inundated the area with little police presence.
Sacramento has much to learn from other cities – for example, New York. The NYPD divides Times Square into sections with lanes in between, allowing for exit routes and for police to isolate disturbances. Officials enforce open container laws, taking alcohol from people as they enter the zone.
If Sacramento wants the ball drop to be a destination event, organizers and city officials need to begin preparations early. This good idea morphed into a needlessly scary event because of inadequate crowd control and planning.
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