Being Watchful In Boca Raton

The city of Boca Raton, Fla., is reportedly considering revising its rules for the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park Amphitheatre after the summer series included a show that got too rowdy.

When Slightly Stoopid played the amphitheatre Aug. 30, the crowd along the avenue out front drew an extra 30 police officers who broke up fights and witnessed underage drinking and drug use, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Fire rescue personnel took six people to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and other problems, tying up rescue units for several hours, officials told the paper.

The city spent $25,000 of taxpayer dollars managing the crowd and has sent a letter to the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park outlining how the concert violated the lease between the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and Mizner Park Inc., the paper said.

The center’s president, John Collins, told the paper there were no problems when he left for the night at around 8:30 p.m., and thought maybe a crowd was drawn to the area through word-of-mouth.

“If people are going to enjoy a concert outside, I want them to enjoy it safely. It was so out of the ordinary,” Collins told the Sun-Sentinel.

The city will likely focus on getting advance notice of concerts to plan accordingly and designate areas where crowds can congregate, the paper said.

Slightly Stoopid played at Mizner Park a year prior without incident, Collins said, and the center doesn’t have plans to restrict musical genres from its concert lineup.

An Oct. 3 O.A.R. concert was moved to Pompano Beach because there were fears the band, which draws a college crowd, might cause a repeat of the Slightly Stoopid show, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Representatives from facility operator Live Nation did not have a comment at press time.