{"id":6971,"date":"2022-06-03T02:27:25","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T02:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theportager.com\/?p=6971"},"modified":"2022-10-20T15:36:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T15:36:15","slug":"a-massive-party-left-plum-creek-park-trashed-two-arrested-on-gun-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theportager.com\/a-massive-party-left-plum-creek-park-trashed-two-arrested-on-gun-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"A massive party left Plum Creek Park trashed, two arrested on gun charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kent police are investigating a Memorial Day party at Plum Creek Park they say attracted about 2,000 revelers and resulted in damage to the park and two arrests on concealed weapons charges.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Cleveland-area residents, both in their early 20s, were arrested at the scene and charged with unlawfully carrying concealed weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police said the park was strewn with debris, including open containers of alcohol, cooked and uncooked food, and trash. Drug paraphernalia was also found at the scene. Cars left ruts in a field, and there was evidence of at least one car having done donuts on the park\u2019s basketball court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents heard screeching tires and loud music over a half-mile away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The park closes at dusk, so each of the partygoers was criminally trespassing when police arrived at 9:28 p.m. May 30, Kent Police Lt. Michael Lewis said. No one was cited for trespassing because sending a handful of officers into a crowd that large \u201cis just not safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kent Parks Director Angela Manley said her office was notified of the incident the following morning and sent parks employees to Plum Creek Park to clean up. Her department is responsible for park maintenance and recreational programming, not security, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working with the police department and other city officials on anything we could do to deter these types of parties from being organized,\u201d she said. \u201cThese are certainly not things that are going through the proper channels and getting permits. These are people who are deciding to host parties at certain locations after hours, and they don\u2019t run through this office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enhance security, police could patrol more regularly, she said, adding that Kent Police Chief Nick Shearer has pledged extra attention to city parks. The city parks department does not have enough personnel or the means to tackle that task itself, Manley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have no indicators that would help us predict the randomness of a party or incident like this taking place,\u201d Manley said. \u201cThis isn’t a regular occurrence, and we don\u2019t want it to become a regular occurrence, but there was certainly no way for us to be aware of this ahead of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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