BOULDER, Colo. — Police in Boulder said they are mulling through video of a large gathering of people on the Pearl Street Mall for possible arrests after significant property damage was reported.
An estimated crowd of up 2,000 people showed up on the mall Friday night and into Saturday morning in what police believe was an effort to resurrect the Pearl Street Mall Crawl, a tradition that businesses and city officials have discouraged in recent years due to safety and property damage concerns, according to a release from the City of Boulder.
Police said some participants were seen hanging from light poles and trees, accessing rooftops and causing property damage to windows, tables, chairs and outdoor heating posts.
Boulder police attempted to disperse the crowd, and they said most participants responded to verbal commands.
The large crowd also raised public health concerns. Many participants were unmasked and appeared to be under the influence, officials said.
Police said they are reviewing drone footage of the event and working to identify anyone seen damaging property to make targeted arrests.
“We recognize the negative impact a situation like this has on our local business community, which is already feeling significant pressure due to the pandemic,” Deputy Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a statement. “We will be using our investigative resources to demonstrate that there are consequences to destruction of property and other unlawful behaviors.”
CU police are assisting in the investigation. Police said CU students found to be in violation of the university’s student code of conduct, or involved in criminal activity, will face disciplinary consequences from the university.
On Monday, the Boulder Police Department confirmed it had spoken to every business in the 1100 block of Pearl Street, taking three reports of property damage and one report of a woman who was injured.
Anyone with videos or photos from the incident is asked to submit them here.
