There were flags waving, bands playing, beers clinking, and fists flying during Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, Hoboken’s annual weekend of pomp, circumstance, and a little frat house debauchery.
The city will evaluate the costs of the parade.
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The green
The afternoon parade was enjoyed by thousands of people who lined both sides of Washington Street. The procession contained more than 1,000 people and over 15 bands, said Bill Noonan, co-chair of the parade committee.
“We had a beautiful day. The streets were packed with families,” he said. “I think we’re certainly moving in the right direction. The city and the chief did a great job.”
The grand marshal was Bernadette Cunning Pehrson. The Irishman and Irishwoman of the year were Dr. John Crowe and Carol Ann Wilson.
The mean
Over the weekend, the the city made 25 arrests – five times more than 2009 – and received 727 calls for service, according to city spokesman Daniel Bryan. (For specifics, see this week’s Police Beat.)
The city also issued 463 summonses (compared to 411 last year), mostly for open alcohol containers and jaywalking, and 49 summonses were issued for house parties. Additionally, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office issued 23 summonses and NJ Transit Police issued 56 tickets, according to the city.
The Reporter witnessed a short-lived fight outside the CVS on Washington Street, caused by Silly String. It occurred when a young man was shooting the flexible green foam out of a can toward his friends – but then shot a man walking by in the face.
The man told the shooter not to do it again, but the young man shot him in the face with the foam again. The second man hit the first in the face, a scuffle broke out, and before another punch was thrown, the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance was on the scene and their sirens scared away the crowd.
With the police force facing potential cuts, Chief Anthony Falco said his men and women were outstanding during the day. “We’ve got nothing but positive feedback on it,” he said.
Extra personnel from the city and backup units from police entities from outside Hoboken were helpful, he said.
The future
Councilman Michael Lenz recently threatened an end to the parade in the future if the city can’t offset the costs of security and other measures. However, local businesses stand to lose thousands of dollars in profits if that happens.
Using an all-hands-on-deck strategy, police overtime for the weekend totaled almost $120,000.
The city will evaluate the numbers in the coming weeks to see what the actual cost of the parade was to the city, said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. Revenue from tickets will be determined after court appearances.
She said the city is making progress on policing the event, but will work with the City Council to create a special event ordinance to address costs and procedures.
In other cities, Zimmer said, the costs for events such these are borne by the organizers.
Noonan said the parade committee just barely covers its own costs for the event, but that they will work with the city to find a solution in order to keep the tradition alive.
Even if the parade is no longer held on the first Saturday in March, sources speculated that the partying will go on in Hoboken that weekend unaffected, and the city will still have to spend money to police itself. Next year would mark the 25th anniversary of the parade.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.