FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Fort Collins Police issued a warning about a dangerous trend of "fight clubs" popping up in neighborhood parks.
Police said they wanted to warn families and other residents after officers responded to a few incidents and were notified what happened after the fact.
The "fight clubs" involve teenagers intentionally getting into physical fights while onlookers watch, and police believe the dates and times for the gatherings are being spread through personal social media services like Snapchat.
Officers will be dedicating extra time patrolling parks, and residents are encouraged to call 970-419-3273 to report non-emergency situations or 911 for active emergency situations.
"Our biggest concern is that someone is going to get seriously injured (or worse) during one of these popup fights," police said. "We encourage teens to tell parents, counselors, School Resource Officers, or another trusted adult if they hear about a fight club."
Students can also anonymously report concerns though the Safe2Tell website.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 970-221-6868 or by visiting stopcriminals.org. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers is notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.
> More information about Larimer Country Crime Stoppers can be found here.
> Additional Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.
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