ST. CLOUD - The Pokemon GO smartphone app has exploded in popularity over the past week, bringing hundreds of people to local parks like Lake George or Quarry Park to play the game.

It's also gotten the attention of St. Cloud Police.

"What we're finding is large numbers of people out at times they normally wouldn't be out and they're really focused on this game. So we do have some fears: we need people to remember to be safe," Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton says.

Oxton says police found about 100 people out at Lake George playing the game past park close on Wednesday night. No crimes were being committed but players were asked to leave. Police also had a report of someone being robbed at Lake George while they were playing the game.

"We've had a few calls of suspicious activity because people are trespassing on private property, and then also public property: it has hours posted, parks are open until ten at night."

Pokemon GO is an augmented reality game where players search real world places to find the fictional creatures on their phones. Oxton says they understand the game is fun, but they want to remind players to be aware of what's going on around them.

"We want them to have fun but we want them to be respectful of locations and careful of their surroundings so they can be safe," Oxton says.

For more on how the game works, you can watch the video below.

 

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