Celebration or Criminal Activity?

The Lakers win; the city loses.

The headline in the local on-line paper says that 5 officers were hurt while containing the crowds celebrating the Lakers' win last night. According to the news article,

What began as a lively but peaceful celebration took on a different tone for those remaining a few hours after the game. Some in the crowd vandalized buses and police cars, set small fires and threw rocks and bottles at police.

Officer Karen Rayner says about 25 people were arrested for disturbing the peace, arson and other infractions.(mydesert.com)

They are called "diehard fans," but they become criminals who vandalize vehicles, break into and loot businesses, engage in fights, and generally cause mayhem that detracts from the excitement about the team winning the championship. These fans quickly morph into a mob hell-bent on destruction, regardless of the police presence designed to contain their enthusiasm and criminal activity.

It's hard to believe that the fans gather to commit crimes, and even more challenging to believe that these riots occur spontaneously. While there are good people celebrating the win, there are criminals creating chaos to cover their crimes. And woe be unto the law enforcement personnel who try to stop them: they end up on the news, charged with excessive force!

It becomes a stand back and let it run its course situation so there's no repeat of 2000.

The parade is too expensive for the city to host, so the team is going to split the cost. Why not cancel it? Based on the damage to businesses caused last night, as well as the loss of property and vehicle damage, it seems that funds will now be spent paying for the impromptu riot last night following the Lakers' win.