Orange Crush fallout: Tybee officials to seek authority to close roads, restrict beach access

Labeling the Orange Crush beach party a "public safety crisis," Tybee Island's mayor pledged Thursday a city council resolution that would ask county, state and federal leaders for the authroity to declare a state of emergency in instances where large crowds are deemed to have overwhelmed the city's resources.

Shirley Sessions and other Tybee leaders debriefed residents on the plans during a town hall meeting in the city council chambers. Orange Crush attracted an estimated 110,000 visitors, many of them college students and young adults, to Tybee on April 21 through 23, resulting in traffic gridlock and at least two violent incidents.

Sessions vowed to present the resolution to Tybee Council during the May 11 meeting. If approved, the legislation would request the power to close roads and restrict access to the beach. The city is currently limited in making those types of decisions.

During a two-and-a-half-hour public forum, Sessions and other city officials answered residents' questions about how they plan to prepare for similarly large crowds in the future.

“If you haven’t experienced it, you cannot fully understand … this is not about race, this is not about religion, this is not about politics,” Sessions said. “This is about public safety and keeping our officers, the public, our residents, business and visitors safe.”

What is Orange Crush?

Orange Crush is an HBCU beach bash held annually since the 1980s. The event is unpermitted and has been marred by controversy over the years. For the last three years, Orange Crush festivities were muted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a migration to Florida beach towns, with the previous organizer citing civil rights violations and a lack of resources.

This year’s return to Tybee Island marked a homecoming and drew what is believed to be the largest crowd in the event’s history. The sheer amount of people – double that of previous Orange Crush crowds – coupled with a shooting on U.S. 80 and a fight on the beach prompted city officials to push for action.

More: Tybee mayor: 'Simply bad behavior' marked Orange Crush; calls it 'worst weekend' event

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Tybee Island’s relationship with Orange Crush has been strained by the city’s ugly racial history. The island is the site of a former slave trade quarantine station and was a whites-only beach until wade-in protests pushed for the end of segregationist policies. Still, past festival-goers have recounted feeling unwelcome and unsafe in the predominantly white beach town.

In 2018, the Department of Justice stepped in to mandate that the community treat Orange Crush just like any other large event or gathering on the island. This was after the city enacted several rules, such as a ban on alcohol and loud music, and brought in additional law enforcement during the weekends Orange Crush is traditionally held. A group of citizens came forward, stating that the city cannot treat the Orange Crush crowd – predominantly students from HBCUs – differently.

More: The Orange Crush gridlock isn't an isolated incident. Tybee must address transportation woes.

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How did this year’s Orange Crush festival compare to previous years?

An estimated 110,000 people visited the island over the three-day weekend, twice as many as previous Orange Crush festivals, according to city officials.

The number of people and cars, combined with several accidents on U.S. 80, along with a shooting, which has been classified as a road rage incident, caused the road’s closure. That resulted in hours of gridlock that caused traffic to back up into island communities off of Tybee Island.

More: Is the Orange Crush Festival returning to Tybee Island this year?

Between Friday, April 21 and Sunday, April 23, the Tybee Island Police Department (TIPD) made 18 arrests and issued 37 traffic citations and 53 code enforcement violations. The department is also investigating other incidents, such as a possible robbery and assault. Tybee law enforcement also reported that bottles were thrown at officers and two police vehicles were damaged.

What is the DOJ agreement and how does it affect planning?

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agreement of 2018 prohibits Tybee Island officials from calling in outside law enforcement agencies that do not have jurisdiction over Tybee Island unless they are called in for other events as well.

Public safety departments such as the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) and County Narcotics Team already have jurisdiction on the island. GSP has traditionally assisted Tybee Island with Orange Crush.

TIPD called in the GSP this year, but resources were limited due to a planned crime suppression operation in Savannah. Officers were called to the island on Saturday but were caught in traffic, according to TIPD Chief Tiffany Hayes.

During Thursday’s meeting, city officials and public safety leaders expressed that restrictions outlined in the DOJ agreement may need to change if Tybee Island is again faced with a 2023 Orange Crush-sized crowd.

“I’m not doing this again. I’m calling in everyone,” said Hayes, “Y'all can address that agreement, but for me, for public safety, for what my officers went through, for what the citizens went through ... I am not having my hands tied by this agreement again.”

How can Tybee Island prepare for the future?

Because Tybee Island is a public beach, the city is limited in its ability to restrict access. Moves such as closing down roads leading to the island or limiting the number of people allowed on the island and its beaches must be discussed with regional leaders.

City officials iterated several times throughout the forum that they are developing an emergency preparedness plan for the future. There is a tentative meeting set up between the city, GSP and Georgia Department of Transportation.

More: 'No longer a sleepy beach town': Orange Crush's return stuns public safety, city officials

More: Was Georgia State Patrol called in to help with Orange Crush on Tybee?

With growing tourism, overcrowding on the island has become more than just a Tybee Island issue, as evidenced by this year’s Orange Crush festival.

Some residents asked if the promoter(s) for Orange Crush can legally be held responsible for advertising the event and drawing the large crowd to Tybee. City Manager Shawn Gillen said any legal action will have to be addressed by the city attorney. City Attorney Bubba Hughes was not present for the forum.

Since Orange Crush is an unpermitted event, no official organizer has been named. This year, promoter Britain Wigfall sought a permit for the festival but was rebuffed because he'd missed the city's permitting deadline. Wigfall clarified that he is not the only promoter of Orange Crush, and “cannot control others piggy-backing off Orange Crush.”

However, Wigfall, said he is willing to work with the city to try and get the event under control in the future.

Sessions said the city is willing to work with anybody on permitting the event. The individual or group will have to provide the information needed for a special event application, including liability insurance. The issue is whether or not someone is willing to be responsible for more than 50,000 individuals, said Sessions.

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tybee Island leaders address Orange Crush issues in public forum