Wake Forest defends putting police with rifles on rooftops for its concert series
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- B & W Hardware said previous events brought property damage and shoplifting.
- Town spokesperson Bill Crabtree said the rifles have bullets, not pepper balls.
- Town defended rooftop officers as crowd-management and routine policing.
The town of Wake Forest pushed back on criticism of its concert series after a downtown business announced Wednesday it would close during any future events.
B & W Hardware, located on South White Street, wrote in a Facebook post that, as a business that does not sell alcohol or food, the town’s “Friday Night on White” events bring more challenges than benefits. Friday Night on White brings outdoor concerts to White Street every second Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.
In its post, B & W Hardware wrote that previous iterations brought property damage, shoplifting and “repeated issues with unruly and intoxicated customers.” The company wrote that there is only a hotline to report issues, and the town told it previously that “we should be ‘thankful’ they’re bringing so many people downtown.”
“Starting in May, law enforcement began stationing officers with long guns that fire pepper balls on top of our building to respond to potential crowd control incidents,” B & W Hardware wrote. “If an event requires that level of monitoring and policing, perhaps it’s time to consider a different approach to the event altogether.”
Several commenters offered their sympathies to B & W Hardware and expressed their concern that Friday Night on White has gotten out of control, with some believing the space on White Street is too small for how many people come to the event.
In a Facebook post Thursday, the town pushed back.
Wake Forest police got permission from property owners “to position officers atop their businesses with rifles that do not ‘fire pepper balls.’” Town spokesperson Bill Crabtree told The News & Observer on Friday that the rifles have bullets, not pepper balls.
The town wrote that the approach “isn’t unique” to Friday Night on White, and law enforcement “around the world” perch officers on rooftops to manage crowds. The town also wrote that it was proud that Friday Night on White, started in 2016, has “never been more popular” judging by the April and May attendance.
“We love the fact that so many people from across our community, region, and state enjoy [Friday Night on White]– and why wouldn’t they?!?!” the town wrote. “They assemble in our charming downtown on the second Friday of each month from April through September to enjoy the very best bands, sample offerings from the best food trucks, visit with the best sponsors, and explore the very best downtown shops anywhere!”
In a post ahead of May’s Friday Night on White event, the town told attendees to expect more police in downtown and on rooftops, writing that Wake Forest police also positions officers for the July 3 Fireworks Spectacular at Heritage High School. Most comments on the post were appreciative of the increased police presence.
The town wrote Thursday that all departments involved in planning Friday Night on White meet after each event to discuss what went well and what to improve. It also sends event surveys to attendees, sponsors, and merchants and has made changes based on that feedback.
Reception to the town’s Thursday post was mixed. Some commenters felt the town’s approach to be adequate and that they felt safe at events. Others felt the response was tone deaf and that the event should not happen if it needs armed officers on rooftops.
How the town is responding to businesses’ concerns
Crabtree told The N&O that officers will be able to monitor what is happening in the crowd and respond more quickly. Attendance at Friday Nights on White has ranged from 3,000 to 10,000, Crabtree said, with April and May possibly the best-attended nights in the event’s 10-year history.
Crabtree said the town has heard some of the issues brought up in B & W Hardware’s post and made changes — like increasing police presence and placing some officers on rooftops — based on surveys and post-event meetings.
When downtown businesses expressed concerns about a large youth presence bringing “obnoxious” behavior, the town created a hotline for businesses to call about any issues and ensure a quick police response, Crabtree said.
Crabtree said he would not speculate on B & W Hardware’s claim that the town told the company to be thankful for Friday Night on White but said the town respected any business’ decision to close or stay open during the event.
“One of the reasons that we offer this quality of life event is to increase the awareness that people have of downtown — [of] what a great downtown it is, what a great number of offerings that the downtown has,” Crabtree said.
Wake Forest Commissioner Adam Wright said in a Facebook post Thursday that he would include a discussion about Friday Night on White as part of a summit he already planned to figure out how to better support downtown businesses.
“I love Friday Night on White,” Wright wrote. “I also love our downtown businesses. Those two things should not be in conflict. The goal should be making a good event even better, especially for the people who help make downtown Wake Forest worth visiting in the first place.”
In 2024, the town considered an 8 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied teens during Friday Night on White in response to concerns about youth behavior during the event. At the time, several commissioners questioned whether a curfew would be effective for addressing the event’s safety issues.
The curfew ordinance failed on June 18, 2024. Wright responded to a commenter on his post saying the town instead increased police presence, and his understanding “was that it largely addressed the issue.”
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 4:13 PM.
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