Police take proactive measures for crowd control at Academy Hall

LOWER POTTSGROVE » Police are taking proactive steps to keep crowds under control after an incident last month involving a large group nearly turned ugly.

Lower Pottsgrove Police told Digital First Media June 13 that on May 27 at around 2:30 a.m., they received a call from a third party reporting that about 50 people were in the street near Academy Hall, 1700 Industrial Highway, hitting cars as they drove by.

“Officers arrived to 50 to 100 people in the parking lot engaged in unruly behavior,” said Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz. “There were no assault victims or anything like that but when officers tried to disperse the crowd a bottle was thrown in the direction of an officer, striking a police vehicle and causing damage.”

Foltz said police were not able to identify who threw the bottle.

Officers from Limerick, North Coventry, Pottsgrove and Pottstown were then called to help and six to eight officers responded, Foltz said. When police started arriving, the crowd started getting in their cars to leave.

No arrests were made during the incident.

Officers then went inside Academy Hall and determined that no one from the party was left inside.

“The event ended at 2 a.m. and was a scheduled event that was permitted by the township and labeled a birthday party. We’ve since been in contact with owners and they have reached out to us. They have been very cooperative with dealing with the situation. The owners did not believe it was actually a birthday and will not be allowing the group back in,” Foltz said.

Police were on the scene for about 25 to 30 minutes, according to Foltz.

Academy Hall has recently undergone renovations including a new kitchen that includes new appliances, beer taps and an ice chest, making it a popular venue for a variety of events including parties, dances, bar mitzvahs and weddings, according to the hall’s website.

“It really wasn’t a big deal. It just has potential to be a problem. Fortunately it didn’t go that way but we want to make sure in the future that it doesn’t go that way,” said Foltz. “Management and ownership have been cooperative and we are scheduling a meeting with them for things to move forward. Any time you have large events like that there’s a potential for problems.”