After a group of teens attacked five people following a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert two weeks ago ("leaving one man with a fractured eye socket, another unconscious and a boy with multiple facial fractures"), the Newark police have decided to increase security at the Prudential Center for tomorrow afternoon's Game 3 between the Devils and Rangers.
Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio said, "There will be in increase in uniform presence on foot. There will be an increase in marked patrol units around the arena. There's also going to be an increase in plain-clothes officers on foot and in unmarked cars in the arena and in the arena area." More cops will monitor surveillance cameras, too.
The post-RHCP spree of violence were described as anomalies by city officials and the police, but the father of the boy who was injured told the Star-Ledger, "I think that (my son) has a feeling like he never wants to go back there again," and said that the incident confirmed his fears about Newark (he allowed his son to attend the concert because he thought the Prudential Center was safe), "I’m really disappointed. That area is really much worse than I thought and I don’t think they should plan to use that center or use the city for cultural events anymore."
