Mayor Addresses Large Crowds, Citations And Arrests On The Strip

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — The city of Tuscaloosa was on the receiving end of some unwanted nationwide attention going into the week as scores of people were shown on the Strip Sunday — resulting in four arrests and a dozen citations issued for individuals violating the statewide mask order. The images made the rounds on social media and drew the ire of many claiming the large gathering showed a blatant disregard for the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox addressed the media Monday to express his frustrations and explain the city's rationale in enforcing the public health mandates with arrests for the first time.

Maddox stressed numerous times that the city hopes Sunday will be the exception moving forward, before saying it had been a busy weekend for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, placing a strain on the department's capabilities when it came to immediately getting TPD officers in the area.

"Sunday was a very difficult day from a force level for us," the mayor said. "Four straight days of officers working 16- and 18-hour days."

Maddox then said, after a man died in TPD custody Saturday morning, reports were also received Sunday of threats on the department's western police precinct. Once that situation was resolved, he said TPD was able to shift its focus back to The Strip.

TPD spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor said the department was made aware of multiple threats to officers posted on social media Sunday, including one poster that referenced "taking action" at the department's west precinct and calling for others to join him.

"Chief Blankley placed extra patrols in the area," she said. "There were no problems reported."

Taylor then said the department had a Strip detail scheduled for later Sunday night, but Blankley decided to call officers in early once the photos of post-Bid Day crowds on the Strip were posted.

"We’ve been sending officers to check for mask and overcrowding violations since the regulations went into effect," she said. "They hadn’t issued citations or made any arrests until last night."

Maddox said he has been in conversations with the University of Alabama on developing an effective communication strategy and working to address overcrowding moving forward, before expressing his intent to meet with local bar owners to hash out a plan to avoid further issues.

He then clarified that most of the city's bar owners, who often take the brunt of social media criticism, are doing everything they’re asked to do, with the real issue being the city’s right of way on its sidewalks.

"We need voluntary compliance as much as possible," he said. "We are trying to save lives, trying to save this economy."

In considering the large-scale Bid Day events on Sunday, Maddox also had praise for how it was handled apart from the crowds on the Strip.

"I know the Bid Day process that went on throughout the week, we had unbelievable participation and compliance with the mask order," he commented. "I do think we all need to be a little bit disheartened by what we saw on the Strip, especially considering what’s at stake."

While college students have also received much of the public blame in the wake of the pictures circulating on national media, Maddox was also quick to point out that the demographics on Sunday were not so one-sided.

"If you look at those pictures, it’s not just young people," Maddox said. "I think it's easy to bash students, but I don’t think that's fair. If you look at those pictures, it's a cross-section."

When asked if the events of Sunday could lead to additional restrictions, Maddox said he had no immediate intentions of adding new regulations, although nothing is off the table.

Tuscaloosa is currently under the statewide mask order issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health, with first-time offenders likely receiving a citation and a $500 fine.

"When looking at the reports of cases and hospitalizations, we’re still in a very good place," he said, referring to the sustained drop in inpatient cases at DCH and new cases for Tuscaloosa County. "The question we have to be asking ourselves is what we will we see in two weeks? At this time, I don’t plan on implementing any additional restrictions. We can’t restrict or enforce our way into getting people to do the right thing."

Maddox received a great deal of attention Sunday when he expressed his anger on Twitter, calling the entire situation a "damn shame."

He addressed the frustrations to local media, saying those who disregard public health mandates are undermining the past and ongoing efforts of so many frontline workers.

"My frustration is because so many people have done so much, sacrificed so much in the process," he said. "We have business owners since March who have been living on very thin lines. Our team members here at the city, they’re exhausted. Everybody at DCH and in the health care industry, they exhausted. There’s a lot of people who have done a lot of work to protect our community at this very critical time."

Looking ahead to an uncertain autumn, the mayor implored bar owners and landlords to do their part in reducing the further spread of a virus that continues to exact a very real human toll in the community.

"We need your help and we know it’s not easy," Maddox said. "We know sometimes people can become very displeased when they are asked to wear a mask in an establishment. We’re really in a situation where we need everyone to do the hard things."