Should OPPD Have Access to Private Lots at the Ralph?

The Buffalo Bills are set to kick off its preseason this evening with an exhibition game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ralph Wilson Stadium, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Different from seasons past, Orchard Park police and other agencies will now have access to privately owned lots, based off of recommendations by law enforcement agencies and the team itself.

Private lot owners within a one-mile radius of the stadium would have to obtain a permit to allowing the parking of cars on their property.

This was a process done every year, in which the owner would have to renew the permit for each season, free of charge.

This year however, the permit came with a stipulation.

In order to be approved now, the landowner has to allow police unfettered access to their own property.

This all despite the fact that the number of arrests and ejections have decreased at the Ralph over the past five seasons.

“I don’t think they’re warranted, I don’t think it’s needed, and I think it’s probably a violation of constitutional rights,” Mark Lester,an owners of several satellite parking lots near the stadium told the Orchard Park Bee in July.

“I’m concerned it will impact my business financially,” Lester added during the July 6 Orchard Park Town Board meeting. “Many of the people that come to my lot are wealthy individuals, people from out of town, corporate events and weddings. They’re not used to being harassed by police or public authority, and I’m sure it’s not wanted. I don’t want my customers harassed.”

Just like at a home, if a cop wants to stand on the sidewalk and sees a crime being permitted then yes, legally they are allowed to go right for it and take care of the problem. Just being able to enter someone’s property off the possibility that maybe something bad is happening is a stretch.

One that is made even more once the word terrorism is attached to it. That buzzword alone is enough for any official to push a ruling like this through with little to no pushback.

Heck, try to Google this issue for a minute. A quick search will reveal not a single publication has a story published on the ruling of the Orchard Park Town Board on this issue. This was quickly swept under the rug and was easy to do as it really only affected the landowners.

The only way to really find what happened is to check out the Town of Orchard Park website. In it you can find meeting transcripts and see that the measure was passed unanimously by the board on July 20.

The Bills home opener against the New York Jets on Thursday, Sept. 15 would be the first time the new rules are placed into effect.

In today’s day and age, yes terrorism is a threat, but at what part do we have to stop giving up our liberties to make sure we stay safe over something that has a very low chance of actually happening to us.

This move comes off with very little to do with safety, and much more to do with public relations on how the team and community were being perceived in the media based on the actions of a few people under the influence.

And it’s hurting these landowners who relied on this income. They either have to sign the permit and waive their constitutionals rights against search and seizure, or lose out on parking cars on their own property.

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” Michael J. Sherry, an Orchard Park board member and former assistant police chief said, via the Buffalo News. “In a certain sense – and I know this is why this is so complicated – you’re basically telling someone who in the past has earned an income from this that unless they submit to the waiver, they are not getting this permit; they are going to suffer harm.”

More police hopefully lead to less video on Monday mornings on Deadspin though, eh?

Because that’s how we should be passing laws.