Waterloo regional police say hundreds of charges were laid in connection with this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the University District of Waterloo.
The major event is the unsanctioned street party, which annually closes roads in the area.
A police spokesperson was unable to provide a crowd estimate for this year’s street party but did say it was “significantly larger than last year,” when an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 people entered the fray.
“It is unfortunate that we continue to see individuals take part in unlawful and unsanctioned gatherings that pose significant safety concerns to the public and to emergency service providers,” Chief Mark Crowell stated. “I want to extend my thanks to our members and community partners for the significant planning and preparation that led up to this event to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.”
A police release on Tuesday said officers responded to close to 500 calls between 8 a.m. Friday and 3 a.m. on Sunday, which resulted in 18 people being arrested and 232 charges being laid.
The list of 232 charges included 92 under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 92 under the Highway Traffic Act and 19 under the Criminal Control Act.
Police say in one incident, two police officers were injured when they responded to a property damage call on Marshall Street, which was the focal point of this year’s unsanctioned street party.
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They say a 19-year-old man from Hamilton is facing several charges in connection with that incident, including assaulting police, obstructing police and mischief under $5,000.
The City of Waterloo also announced that it had handed out 30 provincial offences notices for noise and nuisances connected to the street parties on Friday.
It also noted that 916 parking tickets were handed out, which is close to 100 more than were handed out in 2019, when 33,000 people showed up for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
There were also 115 complaint and proactive responses which was below the 171 in 2019 and 64 lot and maintenance order cleanups, which nearly quadruple the 17 handed out at the party’s peak.
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