A series of fistfights in the vicinity of the Liberty Pole downtown has resulted in approximately 10 arrests and drawn a substantial police response. Some of those arrested are juveniles, a police spokesman says, and some are adults over age 16.

"We believe that they're fights that stem from the schools or certain neighborhoods, and they decide to meet downtown to settle the score," says LaRon Singletary, of the Rochester Police Department.

Witnesses say anywhere from dozens to 100 people have been involved in the altercations, although Singletary says it's tough to set a number because many run to the fight to watch.

The fights started on Thursday, January 21, and occurred almost daily through Wednesday, January 27, a police spokesman says. No incidents were reported on Thursday, January 28.

Passersby have undoubtedly noticed the stepped-up police presence around Main and Franklin Streets. Late Wednesday afternoon, a dozen or more squad cars lined Franklin, and there were cops on foot and horseback.

"That's part of our deployment strategy, to put additional resources downtown to try to prevent the fights," Singletary says. "We had school resource officers come downtown to try to identify some of the kids."

Police Chief David Moore wants to meet with city school district officials and representatives of RGRTA, Singletary says, to devise a strategy to prevent future fights. Many students are bused from school to downtown, where they catch another bus home. The concentration of students may be contributing to the problem, Singletary says.