Crystal Police on High Alert Due to ‘Sudden’ Gatherings in Parks

CRYSTAL, Minn. – Weather is an unknown at many official Fourth of July celebrations, but spontaneous gatherings, especially among teenagers, put police and neighborhoods on high alert.

In Crystal, the deputy police chief said the police department is trying “by all means” to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s events: According to police, more than 300 people flocked to Becker Park, where there were fights, fireworks and even Taser-like devices.

“There was just a lot of screaming, a lot of noise, all over the place,” Keanna Clerk, who lives nearby, told WCCO. “I felt unsafe. It was scary.”

Six people were arrested in the commotion, and police announced they would turn away large groups of children, especially those arriving in carpools.

“That’s my biggest fear,” Clerk said. “I’m a mother and there are parents who are afraid of their children, who have given up on their children or who have given up on life, had children and just chased them out the door.”

In Minneapolis, two sections of the Bde Maka Ska Parkway were closed to traffic starting Wednesday and will remain closed to traffic until Friday morning.

“If someone threatens the safety or property of others, we will take action,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Wednesday. “We will make arrests and work with our partners in Hennepin County to bring those responsible to jail.”

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office also announced that dozens of additional patrols will be deployed this weekend to respond to chaos surrounding the fireworks and to watch for drunk drivers.

Additional officers will also assist paramedics and firefighters in patrolling Lake Minnetonka, where thousands of boats are expected over the holiday weekend.

“I don’t think everyone realizes that driving while under the influence is the same on water as it is on land,” said Major Shane Magnuson of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. “So if that results in a license suspension or license plate confiscation, that all applies on land as well.”