Printer Friendly Format Email a Friend


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 291-03
October 20, 2003

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION INCREASING PENALTIES FOR ROWDY FANS AT SPORTING EVENTS

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Law

“The next bill before me is Introductory Number 482-A sponsored by Speaker Miller, Council Members Vallone, Jr., Addabbo, Jr., Comrie, Fidler, Gennaro, Katz, Liu, Nelson, Quinn, Recchia, Jr., Sanders, Jr., Vann and Weprin.

“Intro. 482-A amends the City’s Administrative Code by creating a new section that makes trespassing on the playing area of a professional sports event a Class A misdemeanor and implements a structure of civil penalties for the most unruly of fans.  This law will protect players, fans and officials from potentially dangerous situations.

“If a fan is found to have knowingly entered or remained unlawfully on the playing area of a professional sporting event they will now be charged with a Class A misdemeanor and may be subject to a penalty of imprisonment for not more than one year, or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or both.   If that fan escalates their disruptive behavior and acts in a manner to upset the course of the sporting event, there will be an additional civil penalty assessed of no less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000.  Most seriously, if the fan while trespassing attempts to or actually strikes, slaps, kicks or otherwise subjects any one of the sanctioned participants to physical contact, a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $25,000 can
be assessed.

“As everyone knows, New York City has the best professional sports teams around, and the Yankees are proving that once again. All athletes deserve to be able to do their job, without worrying that some unruly fan may assault them during the course of a sporting event.  With a number of episodes of unlawful fans disrupting sporting events and injuring players, coaches and sports officials, it is prudent for the City of New York to take action to protect participants in sporting events.”







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler / Jordan Barowitz   (212) 788-2958




More Resources
Watch press conference in 56k or 300k