Editor’s Note: A full recap of the Independence at the Park celebration will release in the coming days.

COVINGTON, Ga. – While thousands celebrated America’s birthday during Thursday’s Independence at the Park celebration at the Covington Square, the event did not proceed without some hiccups.

Five arrests were made during the busy event on Thursday with charges ranging from weapons offenses and obstruction of law enforcement officers, according to an official news release obtained by The Covington News from the city of Covington. The city says that an unspecified “number of individuals” were identified and removed from the event in addition to the arrests.

The identities of each of the arrests made have not yet been identified. The News has reached out to the Covington Police Department and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office for more information. 

However, the city’s news release attributes groups of the “area youth” as the root cause for the disruptions.

“While the majority of the evening was a great success, city officials and law enforcement were once again challenged by disruptive activity involving groups of area youth,” the news release stated. “Despite proactive planning and increased security measures, parts of the square have continued to attract youth gatherings that have led to disturbances during this annual celebration.”

At multiple points throughout the evening, there were noticeable police convergences around individuals, some of whom were then detained in a police trailer just off the Square. There were also bookbag checks taking place all around the event, which appeared to be largely directed at juveniles. 

“Unfortunately we drove here from Indiana and we left before the fireworks started. It was chaos and I didn’t feel safe after several incidents,” wrote Sondra Brantley on Facebook. “One thing I will say is – Thank you to all of the Police officers! They were on it!! It’s so sad that these out of control teens are ruining this event for others! Lots of people left early.”

But others were able to have a blast without being disrupted.

“Fireworks were AMAZING and we had no trouble with anything/anyone!” posted Katie Antonion in the Covington GA Living Facebook page. “CPD were everywhere and doing a great job and were all very kind!!!”

Safety regarding the Independence Day festivities was a pressing topic heading into this year’s celebration after several incidents plagued the 2024 iteration of the event. This led to numerous discussions in city meetings about the event’s future.

Last year, juveniles were the source of disruption that caused chaos and fear at the Independence in the Park celebration, leading to one official arrest.

After months of deliberation, the city council agreed upon the event’s continuation on July 3 – the day before Independence Day – with an increased safety plan.

“Last year we had some issues,” said Covington Councilman Travis Moore. “There was a big push to pull everything completely off the Square. I fought hard to keep it on the Square, but [I said] let’s make some changes to make it safe… one of them was moving from the fourth to the third.”

By moving the event to the third this year, the celebrations took place on a Thursday instead of a Friday. This allowed the city to enforce an earlier curfew of 9:30 p.m. for juveniles that are 16 years old that are unaccompanied by an adult. On Friday, the curfew for juveniles does not go into effect until 11 p.m.

Officers could be heard informing juveniles of the backpack searches and curfew regulations that were in place for the evening.

The Covington Police Department and Newton County Sheriff’s Office were visible all around the square Thursday evening. At every turn, law enforcement was posted at each corner of the Square as well as roaming amongst the attendees. 

There were also visible police cameras set up at the corners of the event as well as law-enforcement on top of the Lula Building with binoculars to keep watch from above.

According to Moore, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office sent 40 deputies to assist in keeping the celebrations safe. Moore described the difference in police presence compared to the year before as “night and day.”

“There is double the police presence this year compared to last year,” Moore said.

Despite the scuffles that took place, there were no major disruptions that interrupted the event proceedings, and the concert and firework went on as planned. 

But even with the city’s increased safety plan, city officials may once again be mulling the future of the event after this year’s recorded incidents.

“However, the city remains concerned about the growing trend of disruptive behavior associated with this event,” the news release stated. “Moving forward, city leadership will be closely evaluating the future of Independence in the Park to determine how — or if — the event can continue in a safe and successful manner.”