Jones Beach concert melees put police on lookout

State park police are hoping for a calm end to the summer concert season at Jones Beach Nikon Theater after a weekend rock show turned violent in the parking lot. About two dozen concertgoers landed

News 12 Staff

Aug 6, 2008, 11:20 PM

Updated 5,962 days ago

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State park police are hoping for a calm end to the summer concert season at Jones Beach Nikon Theater after a weekend rock show turned violent in the parking lot.
About two dozen concertgoers landed in hospitals after Saturday night?s O.A.R. concert. Lt. Harry Olsen, of the New York State Park Police, says fights fueled by underage drinking broke out throughout the parking lot. The lot was left littered with beer cans.
Olsen says more than 50 officers were on hand after the show, but it still was not enough.
Olsen says he?d like to ban O.A.R. from playing at the arena, as the band?s fans have a track record for rowdiness at the venue. A representative for LiveNation, which promoted the concert, says canceling shows would only punish well-meaning fans.
Fourteen officers will be on hand for Wednesday night?s Stone Temple Pilots show. Police are hoping they won?t have a repeat of Saturday night.