The good news is that the Police were out of their cars and walking on Main Street.

Their hangout for most of last year was that little plaza where the bike valet is now... hundreds of kids every week. That spot was busted sometime in August and the orange fences went up, much to my dismay since they were GREAT ice cream customers.

In a recent meeting with Buffalo Place i was told that 'quite frankly, ice cream was an item they wanted sold at their event.' I totally read that as meaning the Square is not meant to be family or kid-friendly but rather just a drinking event.

o jeez, i meant 'ice cream was an item the DIDNT want sold at their event'

I went to High School at Hutch Tech, a stone's throw away from Lafeyette Square. So it was very common for us to wait around, or even get there very early on a Thursday towards the end of our school year. Most of the establishments downtown appreciate us waiting around, because we spent money (particularly Spot and Prima Pizza). However, when we got bored of that and moved to the Square or Library, the cops or even worse, library security always gave us an issue if there was more than 3 or 4 of us. It really makes little to no sense at all. I think that cops are always paranoid of groups of young folk.

I was at the square at few weeks ago and when walking along Main Street, noticed two guys in handcuffs and out of nowhere a bunch of guys start running and pushing people to run over (near the officers with the handcuffed guys) and start pounding the crap out of another guy. So YES, IT'S ABOUT TIME! we had some order there. I don't believe people should be pushed away for sitting and not causing trouble, but SECURITY should make a presense "just in case". I only seen officers pop out when something Did happen, no wonder so many fights broke out, I didn't see any cops around till after they started. If you go to Youtube.com and enter 'Fight Downtown Buffalo' u can see video's that people like myself have recorded in just ONE Thursday event this year. Enjoy!

I was at the square at few weeks ago and when walking along Main Street, noticed two guys in handcuffs and out of nowhere a bunch of guys start running and pushing people to run over (near the officers with the handcuffed guys) and start pounding the crap out of another guy. So YES, IT'S ABOUT TIME! we had some order there. I don't believe people should be pushed away for sitting and not causing trouble, but SECURITY should make a presense "just in case". I only seen officers pop out when something Did happen, no wonder so many fights broke out, I didn't see any cops around till after they started. If you go to Youtube.com and enter 'Fight Downtown Buffalo' u can see video's that people like myself have recorded in just ONE Thursday event this year. Enjoy!

Um,, were u there? If so, you would know exactly what just happend and where the fight was beyond the people just standing around. And queeneyes, as far as people feeling like they are "free to be themselfs", are u kidding? I'm gay and all the people I was hanging with are gay and were constantly harassed by people at the Square with those famous hate words such as "Fag" and "Homos". And you know what, I NEVER went back to the square since (this was a few weeks ago). I know it's not just at the Square where people in this area seem to have turret syndrome and just shout hated words at people who are different from them, but it seemed like it was constant at the Square and I really did not feel safe walking up or down Main Street with NO Security presense and then fights breaking out, people running, etc. My point being, something needs to be done at the Sqaure and we do need a place where EVERYBODY feels confortable going to no matter what you are.

clearly there was not enough police presence when the damage happened so now the good ones have to pay the price. Someone needs to get their act together

Maby it's time to re-do the Concert Series (it's been what, 20 + years now? and still a drinkers hang out) Time to re-think this new policy too, it is extreme and it will cause more problems in the end like people not wanting go come downtown anymore or worse, get even in the worse way. Maby if we had a better security system in place (better training, MORE COPS????) to keep a control on things instead of just pushing people away from OUR DOWNTOWN things wouldn't be so out of hand as they seem right now.

The cops shouldn't be hassling groups of people for no reason. That said, the scene at Bottlecap Alley wasn't about kids playing hackey sack and expressing their individuality. I hadn't been to the Square in a few years, and went last summer to collect petitions. The Alley was full of kids (and some really sketchy adults) doing drugs. One kid ended up being taken out on a stretcher. The whole scene made me afraid, not for myself, but for them.

Am I officially old now?

Seems how the cops like pushing people away from Downtown now, how about going after the drug dealers and panhandlers now? Oh wait, the hacky sack players are more threatening.

Unfortunately the cops can't tell instantly who's trouble and who's not, so I agree with dpbflo in that it's a classic case of many paying the price for a few who can't follow the rules. I blame the jerks who started fights, not anyone else.

Those middle aged guys & “near middle age” Ya’ you Justin. We’re all bad NEWs We’re just trying to make Buffalo a better place. So “Get a move on”. I thought it was funny when she said that to us. Well in a way?

Come to the "Rock Harbor Bike Bash" July 5th 2 pm where you can speak freely to the friendly attendants of the bike Valet. With out the hassle of the Mann.

another example of Brown / Casey fear and overreaction politics. Lets give our corrupt cops another reason to push people out of the city and not make them welcome. This news makes me sick. If some cop yelled at me growing up for hanging out at a public event! I probably would have moved out of the city after college. They obviously are unwelcoming to kids and why would I want to raise my kids someplace cops are going to hassle them for NO REASON.

Way to take a great thing and ruin it guys..

Let's not forget that there was a catalyst for the increased action from the police. This is not just about the Police oppressing young people, it is also about young people who were out of control at a public event. I think that parents who send their high school age children to these events feel better with the increased police presence than they would without it. I am also sure that there are legal concerns, such as a potential lawsuit that the City or Buffalo Place would face if someone's son or daughter was in a fight and the police did not intervene.

Let's not get too reactionary here, if you want to move out of the city just because of police not letting you congregate at a public event than you definitely need to grow thicker skin. Thursday in the Square and other events welcome people to the city, there are many suburban parents who would never let their children visit Downtown Main Street after dark, but are comfortable with letting them attend TITS. There are still far more places to congregate without feeling oppressed, if that is important to you.

If we had a better police system in place to begin with (24/7) to make people feel safe when ever they visit and not go to extremes when we have an event. Think about it, if and ever we do get a Vibrant Downtown, are the police going to push people away then too? Are we not used to large crowds along Main Street that we go crazy? And isn't it part of a vibrant Ped-Mall to have peope sit on the benches, hang out and make it a place "to be"?

I own a business on Main street between Allen & Virginia. A few Thursdays ago there were 11 police cars in front of my place reducing Main Street to one lane and a "trap" as people were heading to Thursday in the square. All they were doing was checking inspections and registrations and writing tickets. they also had several cars towed away. I've had many people tell me that they won't ever come into the city again. I need the police to remember that they are here to "serve and protect!" I couldn't care less if someone is parked illegally( cept in front of a hydrant) Officers listen up, everyone would love you if YOU STOPPED WRITING TICKETS AND STARTED STOPPING CRIME!

I always felt that the panhandlers and the rowdy high school kids (3pm on a weekday) blocking sidewalks along Chippewa and Main Streets to be the biggest problems downtown. I also remember calling 911 regarding these issues and never had a cop car show up. After sometime, I finally get a call from a woman at City Hall to resolve my issue (after calling the main P.O Headquarters and City Hall to get some answers on why my calls were never responded too and why the dispatcher was rude and never even asked for much info as to "who I was", where was I, and where are the kids or pandhandler now") Anyway, the woman told me that we don't have enough police to respond to every call right away and one car might of drove by the area when they had a chance and didn't see anything. I proceded to say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!" So hire more Cops, how are you going to attract people downtown when they don't feel safe?" And I told her the truth. I feel safer in NYC at 3am than I do here at 3 in the afternoon, how sad. And so, I moved back to NYC, it's a totally different vibe, SAFER and a great police presence all over the freakin city (ON FOOT, Car, even on Horse).

maybe we should give the parking enforcement guys guns, they could stop the crime while the cops write tickets.

I def think something had to be don. There were numerous occasions that all these young kids were literally let free in the mohawk street park with no security presence... but lets give the kids a break the vast majority of the kids just wanna hang out and have a good time and downtown for the square is a cheap fun place to go...why doesnt buffalo place provide More security along main to mohawk st and make it an all ages area with food stands and maybe even entertainment. I for one loved while walking to the square in recent years the breakdancers and artist creating art on the sidewalks with chalk that could perform along that stretch of Main...maybe some artists can be encouraged but approved by Buffalo place to perform on these nights for the kids....Imean the kids are already coming downtown, why not take advantage of it?

I heard there was a fight involving adult motorcylce riders. Please push away all the motorcylce riders that congregte by the library.

there was a fight in the front of the stage. Please make the front of the stage a sit down area only with no sudden movements allowed.

there was a fight by the restrooms. please allow bathroom users to only enter this area in a 1:1 ratio to the toilets.

July 4th just passed us by and here we are harassing people because of "what they may do". F'n rediculus. Be an enforcement offcier and do your job. Enforce law breaking. Not breaking up groups of people who maybe have the small possibility of breaking the law.

When officers do things like this it's usally ordered by a higher up. So, they be just doing thier job taking orders.