46 Arrested At Korn Concert In New Jersey
NJ Star Ledger:
At PNC concert, a repeat performance by police
Authorities arrested 46 people at a Korn concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel and charged most of them with underage drinking, State Police said yesterday.
The arrests Wednesday night continue a crackdown on minors drinking at the performance venue, where for years tailgating and alcohol consumption have gone hand-in-hand for many attendees.
In the most recent arrests, 30 of the 46 were charged with underage drinking. The other 16 are facing other offenses, including drug possession, resisting arrest, assault, possession of drug paraphernalia and serving alcohol to a minor, said State Police Capt. Kevin Burke, who headed the effort. Most of those arrested were from New York and northern New Jersey, he said.
Despite the widespread publicity about the crackdown, State Police continue to make a relatively high number of arrests at concerts they believe will attract younger crowds, he said.
"Maybe they think they're not going to get caught, I don't know," he said. "We remain vigilant in what we're doing. We're going to be out here. We're not changing what we're doing."
Of the 30 charged with underage drinking, four were under 18. The youngest of the alleged underage drinkers was 16, State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Jeanne Hengemuhle said.
"Kids are just not learning, and this is a prime example of it," she said. "If you're under 21, you shouldn't be drinking."
At the June 6 Fall Out Boy concert, State Police made 49 arrests on underage drinking charges. The youngest person charged was 14.
The vigilance came after a May 18 Gwen Stefani performance when 15 concertgoers -- 13 of them minors -- were rushed to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel for alcohol-related illnesses.
"As much as we're trying to get the word out, we can't do this alone," Burke said. "Enforcement is certainly not a panacea to this issue. We're looking for parents to spread the word."
One man was charged with aggravated assault because he punched a security guard and then injured a state trooper who came to the guard's aid, Burke said.
