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June 1, 2011

Authorities report quiet holiday

By Justin Graves The Cullman Times

Mike Rainey was braced for a busy holiday.

What the Cullman County Sheriff got was a relatively quiet Memorial Day weekend.

No major incidents. Only a few arrests.

“Everything was relatively quiet,” Rainey said. “We looked at our stats this morning and there wasn’t a whole lot that went on, just a couple of minor burglaries. The reduction was really good.

“But that’s exactly what you want.”

Hundreds of people took advantage of the warm, sunny weather this past weekend and headed outdoors, with hundreds flooding to Smith Lake. But despite the heavy traffic, there weren’t many alcohol-related arrests in Cullman County.

There were no driving under influence (DUI) arrests reported by the sheriff’s department, while there were six reported from the Cullman Police Department — three more than the 2010 Memorial Day weekend.

There were three total public intoxication arrests countywide, including one at Smith Lake Park.

At Smith Lake Park, three people were arrested for illegal possession of alcohol.

According to Brenda Williamson, who works in the office at Smith Lake Park, the campgrounds at the park were at 100-percent capacity for Memorial Day weekend. Despite the large crowds, she said there weren’t any major incidents.

“We had a digital sign down at the park near the entrance letting people know that alcoholic beverages were not allowed,” Rainey said. “They had a major crowd down there this weekend, but all in all there weren’t any real problems.”

Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper believes the low-incident weekend could be attributed to increased patrols. Because of grant money made available through the national “Click It or Ticket” program, there will be more local and state law enforcement officers patrolling the roadways through June 6.

“I went to a family get-together over the weekend, and one of the first things I was asked is what’s up with all the troopers and police out on the highways,” Culpepper said. “It definitely caught their attention, so that probably helped cut down the issues.”

Rainey agreed.

“It had to help,” the sheriff said. “The way the ‘Click It or Ticket’ program has been advertised, letting everyone know there would be more police on the highways, that makes a difference.”



* Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 225 or by email at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.

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