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Council approves amended plan for "Biking the Beach" after debate over police staffing and timing
Summary
After lengthy debate on manpower and timing, the council voted to approve the event with an amended date; city police and the promoter will continue coordination on traffic and public-safety plans.
A special-event proposal called "Biking the Beach," promoted by Genuine Entertainment and scheduled for Biloxi beachfront property, won conditional approval from the Biloxi City Council on April 8 after the council amended the item to set a different weekend and requested further coordination with public-safety agencies.
Why it matters: The event’s promoter argued the weekend could bring substantial tourism spending to Biloxi. City public-safety officials said the event’s timing conflicted with other large events and that the Biloxi Police Department lacked enough officers to safely operate the proposed schedule without more outside support.
Jason Stearman, a promoter for the Sanctuary/Genuine Entertainment, told the council he believed the application met the city’s special-event rules and that he had secured multiple acres of parking near the site. “I have 10 and a half acres of parking that I own either for a day or outright,” Stearman said, adding his group had engaged outside partners and would make vendors and insurance requirements part of the plan.
Biloxi Police leadership and the city’s public-safety staff urged caution. Assistant Chief Miller explained the department’s approach to major beach events and said the department did not have enough sworn officers available for the proposed weekend given other scheduled events: “We can’t have officers working for a month straight with no days off…the week before, from the out of town MHP and everything else, they can’t provide the staff 2 weeks in a row.”
Council members who supported the promoter cited the city’s tourism mission and the event’s potential economic impact. Council members who opposed or sought delay cited public-safety risk and the concentration of large events in the same weeks. Several council members suggested the promoter and the city should pick another date with more lead time so outside agencies could commit personnel.
After discussion, council members adopted an amendment setting an alternate weekend (June 5–8, 2025) and then voted to approve the resolution as amended. Council members asked organizers to continue detailed planning with Biloxi Police, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and other partners and asked staff to identify any “blackout” dates that should be reserved for other large events going forward.
The council did not set criminal penalties or change zoning in the vote; the action allowed the promoter to continue planning with the condition that event logistics and safety staffing be coordinated with the city and partner agencies. Council members said they expect continued discussions and more detailed operational plans in the weeks ahead.
