By Kevin Coughlin
Saturday’s bitter cold kept down the crowds at the Morris County St. Patrick’s Parade, and it appears to have had a chilling effect on post-parade shenanigans as well.
Morristown police reported a total of 11 arrests and 13 summonses between 7 am on Saturday and 3 am on Sunday, March 12, 2017, traditionally one of the town’s biggest bar weekends.
The arrests break down like this:
- Driving while intoxicated – 1
- Disorderly conduct – 2
- Simple assault – 6
- Criminal damage – 1
- Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest – 1
Ordinance violations went this way:
- Drinking in public – 9
- Urinating in public – 3
- Littering – 1
By comparison, 20 people were arrested last year, 59 tickets were issued, 14 people were hospitalized, and eight motor vehicle crashed.
There were 16 arrests, 30 tickets and six crashes over the same period in 2015.
In 2014, police arrested 29 persons and issued 34 tickets, 27 people were transported to hospitals, and eight crashes occurred.
Police-wise, the busiest parade day in recent times was 2011. Officers wrote 135 tickets, including 88 for drinking in public and 46 for public urination.
The parade itself is an alcohol-free, family friendly event. Parade organizers donate money every year toward police coverage.
Jim Cavanaugh Makes a good point.
The council should revisit his situation.
Violations all over Morristown, but none at Revolution, yet the council has spent 10s of thousands in legal fees against same. WHY
So you witness “drunk”people getting in their cars and do nothing about it? They are not the same thing, don’t speak of the law if you don’t know the difference. Was the parade too loud for the precious residents on south st?
I just live here, so I’m generally not part of the nighttime drunk patrol, but yes, I do go out and I do see people getting into cars and people driving that obviously would totally fail a field sobriety test.
Didn’t grow up in NJ, DWI, DUI as best I can tell mean the same thing – drunk behind the wheel.
What am I suggesting? St. Patrick’s day is great for local bars, not so great for residents. Hell would freeze over before a serious crackdown on drunk driving (like a few checkpoints) at this event, no?
Is that what you do with your free time Charles? What are you trying to suggest with that comment? FYI, NJ doesn’t have DUI’s they are DWI’s 😉
Hang out in a parking lot one evening and ask yourself how there’s only one DUI arrest. 🙂
What was that accident that closed Elm Street that evening?