The Mayfield Heights police chief is voicing his frustration with the juvenile court system and annual church festivals after 200 juveniles went to the St. Clare Church Festival in Lyndhurst on June 1, where multiple fights broke out, spilling over into Mayfield Heights and causing several businesses there to close early.
In an email to News 5, Mayfield Heights Police Chief Anthony Mele called on the juvenile courts to send a message that this type of behavior from unruly juveniles won't be tolerated, but he is doubtful anything will be done at that level.
"Unfortunately, that rarely happens in Cuyahoga County, and these kids know it," Mele said.
According to the chief, Mayfield Heights police received numerous calls about juveniles fighting in the area after attending the church festival Lyndhurst. In total, 10 teenagers are facing charges in Mayfield Heights, the chief said. Lyndhurst Police confirmed to News 5 that they have not arrested anyone at this time.
Lyndhurst Police Chief Patrick Rhode told News 5 they received a call from an individual at the fair who said they spotted a teenager allegedly armed with a gun.
Rhode said officers spoke with three teens after two of them ran, including the one believed to be armed. Shortly thereafter, police recovered a gun off church property.
Four businesses in Mayfield Heights — Papa John's Pizza, Dairy Queen, Raising Canes and Sheetz — had to close down due to the crowds.
Mele said he had nine officers working the road that night, but due to the sheer number of juveniles in the area and fights breaking out, he could have used another dozen officers on duty.
"The officers that were working did an outstanding job under difficult circumstances," he said.
Last year, News 5 reported that St. Mary Magdalene in Willowick made changes after a series of disturbances ended its festival early in 2022.
RELATED: Popular church festival makes changes after teens cause 2022 disturbance
Mele said he believes church festivals have become a nuisance and are a public safety issue.
"I think these church festivals are a thing of the past. They've become a gather place for unruly juvenile behavior. The money generated by the churches is not worth risking the safety of the public," he said.
Rhode echoed similar sentiments, adding that it may be time to re-imagine these kinds of church fairs and the crowds they tend to attract.
A priest at the Church of St. Clare told News 5 it's too soon to tell if this weekend's incidents will prompt any future changes to the fair.
The church festival at nearby St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills is this weekend. A church representative told News 5 that festival hours will be shortened to 9 p.m., and extra security will be on hand.
The Diocese of Cleveland released the following statement:
“While what occurred at the St. Clare festival is extremely unfortunate, individual parishes will determine what makes sense in their communities from a fundraising and safety perspective. We encourage parishes who are holding summer festivals to work with their local police departments and to take all possible steps to provide secure environments for their festival attendees.”
