DENVER — The Denver Zoo is closing early on Saturday ahead of a "takeover" event that's set to take place at City Park.
The zoo traditionally closes at 8 p.m. on Saturdays as part of its summer hours.
A spokesperson told Denver7 the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance was notified by the Denver Police Department of a teen "takeover" event at City Park scheduled for Saturday. As a precaution, the zoo is adjusting its hours and will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Denver
Teen describes meetup near Shops at Northfield that led to police response
Roughly 300 teens gathered at The Shops at Northfield last weekend for a similar event. According to the Denver Police Department, the group entered different businesses and "engaged in physical altercations among themselves."
Officers arrived to disperse the group in order to prevent "further escalation," according to Denver PD. Some teenagers broke into smaller groups, disturbing the area of Central Park Boulevard and 46th Street.
Following the event, Denver7 spoke with two community youth advocates, who called on the community to get involved in finding solutions to keep teens productive and out of mischief this summer.
Denver7 also sat down with DPD Division Chief of Operations Rick Kyle to get answers about how police are responding. Kyle said DPD was aware of plans for the "takeover" at Northfield before it happened, and worked with mall security to respond.
"There's several that we've seen advertised, not just in Denver, but in other areas," Kyle told Denver7. "These events have the potential to be very dangerous. When groups are gathering with the intent to cause havoc, they can escalate into very dangerous situations that could cause injury or property damage. Any parents that are aware of their kids planning to participate in these, we highly recommend that they discourage such activities."
The division chief said his department is aware of future planned events.
"We have some plans in place for upcoming events that we think will be even more effective than what we had on Sunday," Kyle said, without sharing details in order to maintain "operational security."
- Hear more from Division Chief Rick Kyle in the video player below
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