ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A brawl involving 400 people broke out at Ontario Beach Park Monday, prompting the city to announce plans to increase safety at the park this summer.
What happened
The fight came just after fights broke out on the last day of the Lilac Festival.
Mayor Malik Evans said many of these fights get started online, then the groups choose places to physically fight where adults and police are present to keep them from becoming more serious. The Rochester Police Department responded to the scene and worked to break up the fight.
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.
“They actually arrange on social media. We look at the post and they arrange to go up and fight, and then they want to take their phone out and they want to be cool, and then they want to push it to social media. And then you have people that pick it up. Meanwhile, they’re not showing the kids that are out playing basketball. They’re showing the kids that are coming to the beach to try to wreak havoc because they want to become social media famous. That’s what this is about,” Evans said.
Evans held a press conference Tuesday highlighting the city’s recreation programs. He said when kids are engaged in those programs, they’re more likely to stay out of trouble.
Evans said he’ll be meeting with the county executive again later this week. Since the county owns the beach but the city owns the parking lot, Evans said the two have to work together to help prevent more fights like the one that happened this weekend.
In-depth on beach security
Last year, crews installed automated security gates at Ontario Beach Park in response to the fights. The gates aim to prevent people from gathering at the beach after it closes at 10 p.m.
In addition, RPD and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office often increase their patrols at the beach during the warmer months. That’s especially the case during holidays and during summer events at the beach, like Concerts by the Shore.
Impact on Charlotte businesses
Business owners in Charlotte say they’ve had enough.
Lee Selover, owner of Wind Jammers, said potential customers are scared to come to the area after around 8 p.m., and it’s hurting his business.
Selover has lived in Charlotte his whole life and said these problems have been getting worse in recent years. He said he might move because of it.
Fights are common and the area needs more officers nearby, Selover said. He said he doesn’t see any officers some days and feels like the city is neglecting the area.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said Tuesday morning there is already a lot of police in the area and argued that isn’t the issue. The city needs to engage with the people causing the fights, Evans said.
Selover told News10NBC that sometimes the fighting happens right outside his restaurant.
“In between the early here, once they were just beating the crap out of each other. I locked all the doors, wouldn’t let my customers out because I didn’t want my customers to get hurt, you know? And finally, it dissipated, and they fight out in front here. I have problems with them,” Selover said.
Selover has had to ask people to leave after causing trouble inside, like groups spending 30 minutes at a time in the bathroom. Selover wants community policing, where officers build personal relationships with the community.
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