HOBOKEN – No, there won’t be a party every day. In fact, quite the opposite will be true if Councilwoman Theresa Castellano’s proposed plan to curb hooliganism in Hoboken moves forward.
Castellano plans to present an ordinance to the Hoboken City Council public safety subcommittee that would enforce zero tolerance policies every day of the year for open alcohol container violations, public drunkenness, and all of the other zero-tolerance crimes usually associated with Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day. Those crimes sometimes result in a $1,000 fine.
The parade was moved from a Saturday to a Wednesday by Mayor Dawn Zimmer for next year, but Castellano wants more to be done.
The proposed ordinance would also restrict the alcohol sales to begin at 11 a.m. and no earlier, keep municipal courts open to process violations during special events, increase fines, reinstate stricter community service requirements, and reinstate the transmitting of arrest info to defendants’ hometown newspapers.
Also, bars that are issued violations from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would serve suspensions from Thursday to Sunday, rather than Monday to Wednesday.
The issue will first be reviewed in subcommittee before it is decided if the proposal will move forward to the council.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Comment below. — Ray Smith
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