ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After a brawl involving over 400 people at Ontario Beach Park broke out on Monday night, Rochester plans to increase safety.
Friday’s media conference
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello is hosting a media conference on Friday at 10 a.m., to address public safety concerns at the beach. News10NBC is there, and you can watch our livestream of the conferencebelow:
What happened
On Monday night, a group of around 400 started fighting at Ontario Beach Park. This came less than 24 hours after police say multiple fights broke out at the last day of the Lilac Festival.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans spoke to News10NBC about the fights on Tuesday. He said most of them ignite on social media, and then groups pick a place to fight where they know police or adults will be around. Evans said the issue goes beyond security, instead arguing it lies in community engagement. He said sometimes the parents are the ones fueling the fire and those fighting do so for attention.
READ MORE: Rochester plans to increase safety at Ontario Beach Park after brawl involving 400 people
RELATED: Several people kicked out from Lilac Festival for fights on closing day
Reoccurring problem
This isn’t the first time Rochester has seen fighting at events. Rochester Police had to break up a group of around 300 young people fighting who refused to leave the festival in 2023.
Last March, a brawl broke out after a Section V championship basketball game between Rush-Henrietta and Fairport.
Last June, News10NBC spoke to a woman who left the beach twice in one week because of fights. Soon after, police ramped up patrols at the beach ahead of Fourth of July weekend.
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