‘It's like senior skip day': RPD, MCSO work together to introduce new safety measures at Charlotte Beach Park

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Monroe County leaders and law enforcement introduced an increased presence starting on Wednesday evening at Ontario Beach Park.
Officers said they responded to Ontario Beach Park last Wednesday for disturbances breaking out in large crowds. That led to 19-year-old Deandre Leonard getting arrested for allegedly running around with a handgun.
'We can't allow that to happen again,' Captain Greg Bello said.
On Tuesday, Rochester Police Captain Greg Bello announced that on Wednesday nights, which is the night of the weekly Concerts by the Shore, will begin having a huge increase of law enforcement personnel: including RPD's Special Events Detail and the Patrol Unit from the Department's Lake section, deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, and troopers from New York State Police. Teams will also be assigned from Monroe County Probation, Monroe County Security, and City of Rochester security.
'It's a great summer event that over 1,000 people go to,' Captain Bello said. 'We want to make sure that that's a safe event to go to.'
Weather-dependent, RPD said it will implement its Tactical Unit and Traffic Enforcement Unit to 'conduct targeted, disorderly traffic safety, and all sorts of enforcement in the parking lots of the beach area.'
Captain Bello said this is to target any groups 'before they're able to get into a point of creating mischief.' On Saturday evening, multiple roads were closed down in the Charlotte neighborhood near the beach. Fights spilled toward Lake Avenue in front of Tropix.
Business owners have told News 8 that this has become a regular thing in the area. Rochester police, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, and New York State Police are meeting to plan for increased patrols in the area.
First responders will also be working with the Rochester Transit Service to implement a special events detail.
'Our Staff Duty officer now has the authority to turn busses around,' Bello said. 'So if we have large groups of teens going to the beach in order to try to create problems at the beach, we're going to turn that bus around.'
The Monroe Crime Analysis Center will also be used to monitor social media and different groups to target any events, fights, or chaos being planned at the beach.
'We're going to go after those that are that are trying to create chaos,' Bello said. At the end of the day, it's a family park.'
Monroe County announced County Executive Adam Bello has worked with the President of the Monroe County Legislature to introduce a Capital Improvement Project. This would put gates at the parking lot of the beaches to monitor who is going in and out more effectively.
'This isn't something new. This has been going on for decades, and I think it's one of the really cornerstones of public safety in the county of Monroe,' a Monroe County Director said.
Monroe County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brendan Hurley said these fights coincide with Senior Skip Day.
'These are juveniles,' Deputy Hurley said. 'These are teens going out and causing havoc. But like you saw last week, we arrested somebody with a gun, so that has the potential to get a lot worse. So that's why we're taking it serious, and we're going to try to nip it in the bud and stop it before anything gets too far in the name of safety.'
When asked why this wasn't done a long time ago, Captain Bello said it has to do with resources.
'We don't have infinite resources,' he said. 'We have to prioritize as we go forward with what we're going after with our non fatal shooting team. We have to focus. And so we've had details up at the beach. There was a detail up at the beach last week that thankfully kept that from escalating any further. But what we've looked at is, okay, where's our most appropriate deployment of resources? And what we found is that we need to increase those resources at the beach, and that's what we're doing in response to that.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New York Post

3 hours ago

• New York Post

Bowling coach had been messaging 17-year-old victim before murder-suicide, her father said

A Michigan bowling coach who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl in her home had been sending the teen inappropriate messages before the killing, her father claimed. The tiny community of Bedford Township, Michigan, about an hour south of Detroit, has been reeling since news emerged that Ryne Leist shot and killed one of his young charges, 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith, before authorities say he killed himself. As community discussion of the June 14 tragedy unfolded on Facebook, allegations of creepy behavior from Leist emerged before one resident urged others to not to jump to conclusions. Advertisement That's when Smith's father Levi jumped in. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi Smith cryptically posted in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 4 Gwendolyn Smith had just graduated high school two weeks before. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook Advertisement 'He deserves to rot in a special hell,' Smith said of Leist, 33. Leist volunteered as the coach of the bowling club at Bedford High School, where Gwendolyn Smith was on the team. He is believed to have shot the girl multiple times in her stepfather's home, authorities said. Smith's stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. to discover the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer. Gwendolyn Smith, described as a 'kind,' 'talented' and 'extraordinary young woman,' had just graduated high school two weeks before. Advertisement 4 Levi Smith said he'd seen the emails Leist sent his daughter. Facebook/Heather Smith Former friends and classmates of the Leist meanwhile, told a different tale about the coach. 'I do remember him being a loner,' said Monica Mckenzie. 'Somehow he slipped through the cracks.' Kara Thornton said she knew Leist when she was 15 and he was 20. Advertisement 'He got my name tattooed on his arm. We never dated, I never wanted to,' said Thornton, who now lives in Hawaii. 4 Thornton said Leist got her name tatooed on his arm even though they never dated. 'He would try sleeping with me and my friends, he'd meet us at parks and then drive us to the middle of nowhere, giving us alcohol…he was always so gross, always trying to date underage girls,' she claimed. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' she added. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f—d it all was, haven't thought about him in years.' 4 Leist was a volunteer bowling coach with the Bedford High School. WTOL 11 It's unclear if Leist broke into the victim's stepfather's home or was let in, said authorities, who didn't specify the nature of the relationship between the two. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office did clarify that 'Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic.' Advertisement Smith's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office, and Leist died of suicide. Leist volunteered as a coach with the school's bowling club, a gig he'd obtained through his employment at the local bowling alley. He had recently resigned from that position. Levi Smith could not be reached for comment.

Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

NYSP: Laurens Mayor arrested on rape charges

LAURENS, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — The mayor of the town of Laurens is facing rape charges after being arrested by New York State Police on Monday. 61-year-old Frank Kovacs was arrested on Monday after a grand jury indictment by the Otsego County Court. The investigation began in December of 2024 on a report by a victim Kovacs allegedly assaulted over a decade ago. The victim claimed that Kovacs had been sexually assaulting them for several years in multiple locations. The victim also claimed that Kovacs allegedly coerced and intimidated them into the assaults. Kovacs had been elected the mayor of the Village of Laurens in March. Kovacs is currently being charged with: Two counts of second degree Rape, a Class B Felony, and three counts of first-degree Criminal Sexual Act, also a Class B Felony. He was remanded to the Otsego County Jail in Cooperstown on a $10,000 cash or credit bond or $100,000 bond. It is unknown when he will return to court. This is an ongoing investigation. We will provide more information as it becomes available to us. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo

13-06-2025

• Yahoo

Wanted Rockford man in custody after drug and weapons raid by US Marshals

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police arrested Stormi Dixon, 41, after raiding his residence on Thursday. Around 12:30 p.m., US Marshals and RPD went to the 600 block of 3rd. Street to search for Dixon, who was wanted for delivering cocaine and having a firearm while being a felon. Authorities forced their way into the apartment and took Dixon into custody after he was found in the attic. Officers found cocaine, digital scales, a loaded handgun and over $1,000 in cash. Dixon successfully evaded officers in a Chevy Tahoe and on foot on May 2nd. Dixon is charged with possession of a weapon by a felon, manufacturing and delivering cocaine, aggravated fleeing from police while driving 21 miles per hour over the limit and resisting an officer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.