It's not just the action on the track, that's getting attention in Saratoga. The streets, businesses and police are all kept busy by the influx of people to the Spa City. Our Beth Croughan has more.
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SARATOGA, N.Y. -- The streets are busy and the shops are busy. "Just amazing. Non-stop," said Elizabeth Jameson, a part-owner at Frivolous Boutique.
It's track season in Saratoga Springs. "The increase in traffic is huge," said Rick Monaco, who works at the Saratoga Salsa and Spice Company.
But the increase in traffic also means an increase in police activity. "We add the number of tourists that come into town and partygoers. And of course we had the Allman Brothers in town last night too. So, there was a lot of people here, and it kept us hopping," said Lieutenant John Catone with the Saratoga Springs Police Department's Investigation Division.
While Catone said the busy Friday is not unusual, officers did work hard through the early morning hours. "You know you have a lot of people downtown partying and drinking, sometimes things get out of hand. There were some multiple assaults that took place," Catone said.
There was one arrest that Catone said resulted from a lengthy investigation into drug and gang activity. "Last night at about 7:30 p.m., we executed a search warrant via a drug raid at a location in Jefferson Terrace," said Catone.
And in another case, police are asking for the public's help. They're looking to learn more about a 28-year-old man found face down a few blocks from Broadway. "There was a young man who was found at about 3:30 this morning over in the Grand Ave, Beekman Street area," he said.
Catone said officers and EMS personnel performed CPR on Matthew Stedman because he was unconscious, unresponsive and not breathing. He's since been taken to Saratoga Hospital and Catone said Stedman is listed in critical condition. "We're still very early in the investigation stages, so I'm not at a point where we're thinking this is criminal or not criminal. So what we're trying to do is find out where this young man was prior to having been found in this area," he said.
Anyone who might have seen Stedman or was with him before he was found is asked to call the Saratoga Springs Police Department at (518) 584-1800.