“It causes us a lot of stress” – Law enforcement questions September’s Rod Run
The event isn’t worth the trouble, according to the chief of police in Pigeon Forge. Businesses and auto enthusiasts claim that the car show is not the issue.
Tenn.’s Pigeon Forge — On Wednesday, promoters and vendors are preparing for the Fall Rod Run, which one producer estimates would draw 17,000 to 20,000 people to the LeConte Center over the course of the weekend.
However, they are not the only ones getting ready. Richard Catlett, the chief of police in Pigeon Forge, stated that the agency spends hours training officers and spends $35,000 every Rod Run weekend to hire more cops from other agencies and compensate his personnel for overtime.
“It’s not just us, it’s the whole county these car shows effect,” remarked Catlett. “It puts a lot of stress on us and it’s a very tiring time.”
According to Catlett, ten police officers are always on patrol on a typical Saturday. That number rises to 55 during Rod Run.
According to Catlett, those officers are from the National Park Service, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Sevierville Police Department, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gatlinburg Police Department.
“We get a lot of noise complaints at night, a lot of traffic complaints,” Catlett stated. “Sometimes you think you’ve seen it all, and then somebody comes and does something else.”
36 arrests and 1,151 calls were made over the most recent Spring Rod Run weekend in April.
“It’s not just us, it’s the whole county these car shows effect,” remarked Catlett. “It puts a lot of stress on us and it’s a very tiring time.”
According to Catlett, ten police officers are always on patrol on a typical Saturday. That number rises to 55 during Rod Run.
According to Catlett, those officers are from the National Park Service, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Sevierville Police Department, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gatlinburg Police Department.
“We get a lot of noise complaints at night, a lot of traffic complaints,” Catlett stated. “Sometimes you think you’ve seen it all, and then somebody comes and does something else.”
36 arrests and 1,151 calls were made over the most recent Spring Rod Run weekend in April.
