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Police respond to juveniles fighting during Care-A-Van event at Austin Park

By Howard B. Owens

A small group of juveniles got into a ruckus this evening at Austin Park during the weekly Care-A-Van Ministries cookout event and Batavia PD was called to respond, said Sgt. Chris Camp.

Camp said normally you want parents who are present to get involved and deal with their children, but tonight the parents got too involved. They started yelling at each other.

Four city units and three county units responded to the call as a result.

Camp said it's unfortunate that 95 to 98 percent of the people who attend the Care-A-Van event never cause a problem, but Thursday night calls to Austin Park are becoming routine, he said.

Michele Lawson

It is a shame that in the eleven weeks that Care-A-Van Ministries has been hosting the free community cookouts at Austin Park, our fourth year of doing this event, that no one has covered the 350 - 425 meals that are served to our community members each Thursday night, the various organizations that join with the ministry at these events, or the many nights that people are brought love, compassion, and hope by Care-A-Van Ministries.

The fight occurred on the Jackson street side of the park, not near the pavilion which is where Care-A-Van was set up. It is sad that these young people, who are coming to the event and receiving a free meal, conduct themselves in such a manner as to bring dishonor on what is a very godly and uplifting night. The shame is on them!!!

As Sgt. Camp stated, 95 to 98% of the people who attend the Care-A-Van event never cause a problem. It is the 2% of these young, unsupervised children/young adults who cause the problems in areas throughout the city, not only Austin Park.

Jul 23, 2015, 11:13pm Permalink
Lorie Cook

Jackson St side? There's no jackson st near austin park that I am aware of? It is disgusting that children and parents have to act like thugs during an event to help the community. People have no respect at all anymore. I hate even driving near that park. It is littered with trash pretty much 24/7.

Jul 24, 2015, 12:38am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Why should a charitable organization like Care-A-Van be disallowed to continue it's events because of the thuggish behaviors of a few. Alvin's comments are a perfect example of the how and why our community's negative aspects are allowed to flourish. If this has become a magnet for such behavior then they city should be throwing the full weight of the law at the people behaving like this. They should be spending money on extra officers at these functions rather than on flowers for main st.

Community members should attend and overwhelm the parents and children causing these disturbances as well. When you tolerate or ignore this behavior, you enable it. Solutions like cancelling the event, or people who just say "I am not gonna say or do anything cause nothing will change..." are just ensuring that nothing will. The energey spent on avoiding these things should be re-directed to curbing and controlling it. Otherwise we are just farting in the wind when we complain about Batavia.

Jul 24, 2015, 7:58am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"Shut them down."

Why?

Why make the majority suffer for the actions of the few?

How about make the guilty pay for their actions instead?

Jul 25, 2015, 3:27pm Permalink
John Roach

Alvin, any group can apply to use any of the parks at any time. Where did you get the idea they are "taking over" the park? They use a very small part of it.

Jul 25, 2015, 4:24pm Permalink

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