CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The West 6th tailgate for Browns games has become an iconic football tradition in Cleveland but some business owners and employees are sick and tired of the crime these parties bring.
“Unfortunately, this is something that is getting worse and worse, so I think it’s a good idea just to stop them,” said Kelhen Jarquan, manager at Acqua Di Dea.
Some business owners told 19 News there wouldn’t be any more tailgates this year on W. 6th Street. The W. 6th tailgate website says tickets are no longer being sold for the upcoming home games.
“It’s getting pretty bad, and I’ve been down here for 15 years now, and it used to be really fun, and it’s unfortunate that we can’t have that anymore,” said Chase Rhodes Manager of Oliva Steakhouse.
Rhodes and Jarquan say they’re still traumatized from the last tailgate where a woman purposely drove her car into a frantic crowd pinning a person against the doors of the Grand Arcade Apartments.
“I think the biggest deal on Sundays is the intoxication, too many intoxicated people,” explained Jarquan. “There’s a lot of substance abuse down here. I think, unfortunately, the police can’t do anything because they can’t arrest, you know, 20,000 people.”
19 News did contact Ethos Hospitality Group, which organizes the tailgates, but we have not heard back.
We also reached out to the city of Cleveland. We are expecting a statement soon.
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