LOS ANGELES, Calif.–A county supervisor today called on Dodger executives to cancel a planned half-off special on alcohol at games.
“They don’t need to be offering alcoholic beverages at half price when they can’t handle the crowd at full price,” Supervisor Michael Antonovich said.
The half-off deal was planned games on April 21, May 4, June 15, June 22, August 10 and August 31, but team executives are now reconsidering in the wake of the near fatal beating of Bryan Stow on March 31.
Stow, 42, of Santa Cruz, was wearing Giants clothing when he was punched by one of two Dodgers fans and hit his head on the pavement in Parking Lot 3 after the opening-day game. He is hospitalized in a coma.
Antonovich assailed the Dodgers’ plan to beef up security as ”a day late and a dollar short.”
Former LAPD Chief William Bratton’s and his security firm, Kroll Associates, have been hired to recommend way to prevent fights on both sides of the turnstiles. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has said more officers would be sent to the stadium on game days and that they would be more aggressive in making arrests.
Other plans include adding more lights in the parking lot, limiting the sale of alcohol, reducing the size of alcohol containers and removing drunken and bullying fans.
Though he stopped short of recommending it, Antonovich mentioned that someone had suggested limiting people to one alcoholic drink and using a hand stamp to enforce the proposed policy.
On Friday, Beck pointed to booze as a significant factor in fan misbehavior, while owner Frank McCourt said the problem was not “the sale of beer that’s a problem per se. I think it’s the abuse of that privilege.”
The Dodgers have yet to make as decision about going forward with the half-off deals, a spokesman said today.
