NEWS

More than 250 ejected from Chesney concert

Doug Schneider

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Kenny Chesney performs 50,000 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday.

Packers official%3A By and large%2C event 'a success for the 50%2C000-plus people who attended'
As is often the case%2C alcohol consumption fueled most of the problems
Since 2002%2C 91 was the highest ejection total%2C during a 2012 playoff game against Vikings

Saturday's Kenny Chesney-Jason Aldean concert likely shattered the record for ejections from a Lambeau Field event, but police say changes made because of a previous Chesney concert kept problems from being worse.

While a majority of the 53,363 in attendance were well-behaved, between 250 and 300 were kicked out for reasons ranging from fighting to harassment to extreme intoxication.

By comparison, the average Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau this past season prompted 25 ejections.

"I don't recall, in my 27 years, ever having a game where we were this busy," said Green Bay Capt. Paul Ebel, who was in charge of police operations at Saturday's event. Twenty-five concert-goers were arrested, most for unlawful conduct at a public event. Police had initially reported the number of arrests as 22 before revising the tally Monday.

The most people ejected from a Packers game since 2002 was 91 during a 2012 playoff contest with the Minnesota Vikings. Police arrested 15 people and ejected 60 during Chesney's 2011 concert at Lambeau.

Packers spokesman Aaron Popkey said team representatives will meet with police officials soon to discuss crowd behavior and other aspects of the event. Such meetings are held after games and every other large event at Lambeau, where the team hires police to provide security and crowd control.

"Any arrest or ejection is unacceptable because it means that someone was infringing on other people's ability to enjoy the game," he said. "We're pleased with the way the police handled those infractions. By and large, it was a success for the 50,000-plus people who attended."

Authorities said alcohol was at the root of most of the problems Saturday, just as it is at music and sports venues elsewhere in the state.

During the annual Country USA event outside Oshkosh, "85 to 90 percent" of calls requiring police action involve drunk people, Winnebago County Sheriff's Capt. Todd Christie said.

"The best-behaved crowds are ones where people have not overindulged," Christie said. "Just like anywhere else, most people are there to hear the band — but then you have one or two clowns who want to screw things up for everyone."

A typical night at Country USA will see three people arrested and 52 or 53 ejected. Most of the ejections came with a ticket for a municipal ordinance violation.

At Saturday's Chesney show, police had more than 90 officers working — the same staffing level used for a Packers game. The football games don't last as long as Saturday's concert, but attract about 25,000 more fans.

Ebel said full staffing is one lesson that police learned from Chesney's visit to Lambeau in 2011. A second change: Officers this year wore their reflective traffic vests and green LED lights during the nighttime portion of the event. That made them easier for colleagues and supervisors to spot, and get to, in case of trouble.

A third: Officers worked in pairs. At Packers games, they work different posts alone, Ebel said.

"I think we did pretty well," he said. "At the end of the night, everybody went home, and nobody was seriously hurt."

— dschneid@greenbaypressgazette.com and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider

At a glance

Arrests and ejections at selected Green Bay Packers games late in the 2014-15 season.

•Jan. 11, 2015, vs: Cowboys: 8 arrests, 26 ejected

•Dec. 28 vs. Lions, 6 arrested, 16 ejected

•Dec. 8 vs. Falcons: 11 arrested, 36 ejected

•Nov. 16 vs. Eagles: 3 arrested, 29 ejected

•Season average: 6 arrests, 25 ejections (includes preseason)

•Most arrests: 16 on Nov. 9 vs. Bears

•Most ejections: 44 on Sept. 14 vs. Jets