5/21/15
Editor’s note: Capt. Keith Canup, commander of Georgia State Patrol Troop B, says his troopers were unjustly criticized after conditions got out of hand during SoWo in Helen over the weekend. As operational commander over the six GSP posts in northeast Georgia, Canup asked to run the following response from him in its entirety:
The leadership of Helen invited The Southern Worthersee Convention into their town as a tourism event. It has been an annual event for the past several years bringing with it the same challenges. To my knowledge there was no traffic plan in place, there was no plan to deal with the large crowds, nor was there a contingency plan to deal with civil disorder. If there were such plans I, as GSP Commander, was never consulted or made aware of them.
Based on intelligence gathered from social media and from SFC Harper in the weeks prior to the event, what occurred on the streets of Helen on the weekend of May 16th and 17th, came as no surprise. The chaos was easily anticipated based on the size of the crowd compared to the size of the town and given the expressed purpose of the gathering.
The Police Chief of Helen, Jim Couch, did informally request Troopers to assist with the event. I provided the five man “Troop B Strike Team” and nine additional Troopers for the event. Chief Couch was told up front that the role of GSP would be to make sure the mayhem did not spill out into the surrounding county and the Troopers would not actively patrol the town, or police his streets. Our goal was to prevent the mountainous roads outside Helen from becoming race tracks, to prevent reckless conduct in general, and to apprehend drunk drivers. I felt that a lawless environment was created and allowed to exist for the sake of tourism. Had the SOWO crowd descended upon Helen uninvited GSP would have gladly taken the lead on maintaining order, but that was simply not the case.
When the unruly crowd took the streets of Helen I was in contact with SFC Harper and was receiving continuous situational updates. I again reiterated to the Troopers to stay out of Helen unless an officer needed assistance, or property was being destroyed. Let me be clear, neither I nor my Troopers were at any time afraid to enter the town. I relayed the message to Chief Couch through SFC Harper that if he felt he had lost control of his city The Georgia State Patrol would come in to restore order under my command. I, through SFC Harper, advised Chief Couch to contact Sheriff Walden and Sheriff Walden and I would coordinate and devise and execute a plan. According to SFC Harper, Chief Couch declined stating he did not wish to anger the crowd.
Had the Georgia State Patrol entered the town we could not have stood idly by and condoned the illegal and reckless activities that were being encouraged without taking enforcement action. We certainly would not have signed off on closing a state highway without the existence of an emergency circumstance warranting such action. I understand the state route was closed by Chief Couch for the purpose of allowing the SOWO cars to do burnouts. State Troopers aren’t wired to allow the law to be broken a little bit. You can’t have the presence of Troopers absence the presence of enforcement. They are one in the same.
As for the police sergeant saying we pulled out when they need us the most that is not true because we never agreed to “pulled in” to begin with. If he or any other law enforcement officer had requested emergency assistance my Troopers were under orders to respond. I wish had been invited to the after action meeting that took place in order to answer questions and defend my actions, but sadly that option was never presented to me. I give this statement in response to the unfair criticism Troopers received and in defense of my actions and those of my Troopers. I am available to discuss the matter further if anyone feels the need.
