5 police officers injured in South Street crowds

Five police officers received minor injuries and 17 people were arrested after crowds swelled on South Street late Saturday night, forcing officials to close the corridor to motorists, Philadelphia police spokesman Sgt. Raymond Evers said.

The trouble on South Street was met by extra police prepared to handle chaos similar to incidents involving teenagers that have surprised police in the last two months.

South Street, a busy party strip, was doing a brisk business this weekend while the annual Greek Picnic celebration was unfolding. About 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police noticed the South Street crowd growing with a large number of teenagers arriving from surrounding neighborhoods.

Evers said police were prepared and traffic was closed to motorists at 12th Street as police began clearing the area and pedestrians spilled into the street.

By night's end, eight people were charged with disorderly conduct, four were charged with obstructing the highway, and five were arrested for assaults on police, Evers said.

A sergeant and four officers were treated for injuries, none of them major, Evers said.

In May, police were overwhelmed by marauding teenagers who flooded South Street for an impromptu gathering instigated through online social networks, where word of a party spreads quickly via cell phones.

Since then, police have been monitoring Web sites and deploying extra patrols to keep the area under control. In years past, South Street has turned wild during the Greek Picnic celebration, which attracts fraternity and sorority members from outside the area.

Organizers of the event have since scaled back the picnic, and Evers said it appeared Saturday's problems were not related to the annual event.