Rochester Police had roving units of ready responders and concentrations of officers at major intersections Sunday night following the annual Puerto Rican parade and and festival. Police say, as in past years, there were issues with large crowds on the streets and roving car caravans after the event ended.
Warnings, pepper balls and a Long Range Acoustical Device or LRAD were used to break up the crowds.
This year police say they made 15 arrests, mostly for traffic violations, and some people threw bottles at RPD officers. There were no injuries to police officers. A couple of fires were set on the street but quickly doused.
In past years, young people gathered in the streets of Northeast Rochester after the festival, racing cars, burning rubber and fighting. Police have always said the disturbances had nothing to do with the festival itself, and this year they laid out plans to keep illegal acts to a minimum. Large numbers of helmeted officers were stationed at locations where trouble has started in past years.
A car flipped in an accident on the 500 block of Remington Street after the festival. One woman was taken to Rochester General Hospital. Police said she might have been hanging out the car window when it flipped. A dirt bike also struck a Rochester police car earlier in the evening. The rider wasn’t hurt but was charged with numerous vehicle and traffic law violations as well as reckless driving.