Pictured is a past cruise-in located in downtown Jamestown. P-J file photo

The Jamestown Police Department and the City Council are working with the organizers of the Downtown Jamestown Cruise-In to avoid complaints of reckless driving after this year’s event.

Issues with the event surfaced weeks after the 2021 cruise-in during City Council deliberations on a car show scheduled for the fall in Bergman Park. Organizers of the fall show countered criticism of their show by saying they were being held to a higher standard than the long-running downtown cruise-in, posting videos of cars doing burnouts when leaving the cruise-in site, squealing their tires and speeding away from downtown.

“There were reports of people driving away recklessly, speeding, burning rubber,” said Brent Sheldon, R-Ward 1 and Public Safety Committee chairman. “We’ve worked with the police department addressing those problems by some of the participants so we don’t have those problems this year.”

The Downtown Jamestown Cruise-In, sponsored by the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12.

Members of the Public Safety Committee also approved special event applications for the Juneteenth Celebration Movie Night on Friday, June 17, from 5 to 10:30 p.m.; the Hello Summer event Friday, June 24, from noon to 4 p.m.; Christmas in July on Friday and Saturday, July 22 and July 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Diethrick Park and Washington Street; and a block party for the First Covenant Art Show on Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Approvals of the Hello Summer and Christmas in July events came with discussion of the council’s preference to use low-noise fireworks for shows at Russell E. Diethrick Park after Jamestown Tarp Skunks games those evenings. Fireworks noise was raised by Marie Carrubba, D-Ward 4 and Housing Committee chairwoman, as an issue last year. The council has in the past received complaints about fireworks shows and their effect on those with post-traumatic stress disorder, on peoples’ pets and children.

“People in my ward have been asking me that because of the number of veterans and problems people have had,” Carrubba said. “And also about the Cruisein, because I was not aware that people were burning rubber and leaving in a dangerous manner. Thank you for addressing that. I do appreciate it.”