A great number of the physical assaults in Oulu take place in the city center. The majority of the incidents which occur are concentrated around the area near the Oulu City Theater and the Oulu Library, a favored haunt for young people celebrating occasions such as Mayday and the start and end of the school year.
Another spot with a high rate of assaults is the area around the Autoranta parking structure, at the intersection of Hallituskatu and Kaarlenväylä. A third problem area is in the crossroad at Kirkkokatu and Saaristonkatu.
According to Pasi Rissanen, Chief Security Officer of the Oulu Police Department, of the 150 assaults in public places reported to the police last summer, a high number took place mentioned areas.
Reports of fisticuffs usually start coming in around 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, typically continuing until 4 am. Many assaults occur just after 2 am. Those involved in the fights are usually young adults, in their twenties or thirties, and are typically under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants.
Such geographic concentration of assaults is a summer phenomenon. In the winter, the cold weather tends to keep people sober and indoors, scattering the assaults around the city.
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