Officers Hurt During Overnight Arrests

Philadelphia, PA - South Street is a place where young people like to come and be seen. Usually, the crowds are manageable, but on Saturday night, they were on the verge of losing control.

"It was insane! There was a lot of foot traffic, a lot of people, more than a regular weekend," said Kobi Dayan, the owner of Gilly Jeans.

Store owners along South Street say by 8 o'clock on Saturday night the crowd outside was enormous. By 9:30, many boutiques closed early, not wanting any trouble. Employees saw a mix of regulars and participants in the unofficial Greek Picnic, but say it was the teenagers who were loud and rowdy.

"Young kid was actually 13, was drunk, throwing up all over my floor. It was just crazy! There were so many people," said Mike MacKuse of Auntie Anne's.

Mackuse says as he was helping the sick boy, someone reached behind the counter and stole his I-pod. He had to call the police to clear out all the kids who weren't buying anything. Fortunately, finding an officer wasn't hard.

Police have stepped up patrols, since the incident last month, when a flash mob stole a cab, and beat up several people. On Saturday night, officers were stationed at every corner, and were cruising South Street on bikes and even on horses. The owner of Steaks On South says it was a welcome sight.

"They come down here and there's a presence but it's not too much that you don't want to come," said Patrick Dougherty, the owner of Steaks On South.

Business owners like Dougherty believe the police presence kept the crowd under control, and when the teenagers started to get a litte too rowdy, officers cleared South Street between 3rd and 4th Streets, until chaos died down.

"I think before there was a problem and then they came to solve the problem and that too late, but now they're there before anything happens," said Dougherty.

Police say several officers were cut or bruised in minor skirmishes with the crowd, but no one was seriously hurt. They say the number of arrests was typical for a Saturday night.

The business community has been working with the police department to get things under control so people who actually buy things will feel comfortable coming down to South Street on a Saturday night.