Residents press council over repeated Friday-night gatherings and shootings on St. Peter Avenue; police urge callers to report incidents

Residents and council members raised public‑safety concerns May 20, 2025, over recurring Friday‑night gatherings, disorder and firearms activity along South St. Peter Avenue and nearby blocks. The council and the police chief discussed response options, camera evidence and a plan to coordinate with state and federal partners where appropriate.

Councilman Francis Glazos opened the item by saying he had received repeated calls about Friday and Saturday night crowds on the south side of St. Peter Avenue and asked the police chief for remedies. The police chief said his department keeps records of calls for service and that, since January, the department had two formal complaints it could immediately locate; he emphasized that officers cannot respond to events they do not know about and urged residents to call the police department or the chief directly and provide an approximate date and time so staff can pull camera footage.

The nut graf: residents reported shooting incidents, found shell casings and property damage; the chief and mayor told residents the department will investigate when incidents are reported and recommended providing dates and times so fixed cameras and video can be reviewed; the mayor said she had been in contact with federal partners about gang activity and asked the chief to check 911/dispatch logs for any unprocessed calls.

Several residents described specific incidents. Roger Staley said he found bullets in front of his house the morning after a night with gunfire and reported that his call to the police did not result in officers coming to his property. Resident Sheldon Romero said his house, a neighboring house and his shop were shot at in a February incident; Romero said he has turned recovered casings over in the past. Residents detailed concerns about recurring groups that they said assemble on St. Peter and spill into the roadway, sometimes late at night.

The chief acknowledged the difficulty of policing gatherings that are not called in and repeated the department will respond to reports; he said if residents supply a time window and date the department can pull camera footage and try to identify involved individuals. The mayor said she had discussed the issue with federal law-enforcement contacts and asked the chief to schedule a meeting with the FBI and sheriff’s office to pursue more comprehensive enforcement and federal charges where appropriate. The mayor also asked the chief to verify whether 911 or the department’s dispatch received any calls for the nights in question and to preserve recordings.

The meeting included guidance from staff and the chief on next steps: residents should call 911 or the police non-emergency number when events occur and provide date/time details; the chief will pull camera footage when those details are provided; the chief and city staff will check 911/dispatch logs for the dates residents cited; and the mayor said she will pursue coordination with federal partners to pursue stronger criminal enforcement where appropriate.

Ending: The council did not adopt a formal new ordinance or policy at the meeting, but asked the chief to review dispatch logs and to coordinate camera reviews when residents supply dates and times so investigators can pursue arrests and evidence preservation.