BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Waterfront officials are working with police to increase patrols at Canalside and have hired private security "out of an abundance of caution" following a double shooting Monday night.
The violence at Canalside follows a series of fights among young people at events and festivals from Woodlawn Beach to Kenmore and at the Juneteenth Festival earlier this month.
Despite the recent incidents, many visitors continue to enjoy the waterfront area while acknowledging safety concerns.
WATCH: Expect increased security at Canalside in Buffalo following recent violence
"I don't know, it's really terrible that we have to even worry about that," Victoria Crockett said.
Some residents believe more preventative measures could help address the root causes of youth violence.
"I think there's a lot of other things that could be done proactively to support kids," Mandy Kerkeslager said.
Retired Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia explained that law enforcement faces challenges when managing large groups of young people at public venues.
"It's a tough balance because you know kids are gonna be kids," Gramaglia said.
He noted that situations involving youth can sometimes appear more chaotic than they actually are.
"Sometimes they look worse than they really are because you get, you know. A pack of kids that are all gonna run towards a couple of people fighting and it looks a lot worse than it is, but that's where you work ahead of time with parent groups with violence interrupters, with SROs, with the schools themselves," Gramaglia said.
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