Newark to Increase Police Presence Around Prudential Center

Newark police say they'll be increasing security around the Prudential Center and are trying to reassure the public that the area is safe for the upcoming hockey playoffs following a spate of violent assaults that took place after a concert last week.

Police Director Samuel DeMaio says police have made more than a dozen arrests of juveniles and young adults for strong-arm robberies and assaults in Newark's downtown area since the post-concert assaults.

Earlier this week, in an apparently unrelated incident, two off-duty detention officers were shot, one fatally, outside a bar near the Prudential Center.

The Eastern Conference Finals between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers will take place at the arena on Saturday and Monday.

City officials insist the recent incidents are isolated.