HOBOKEN – Mayor Dawn Zimmer discussed at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon the decision that next year’s Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be on a Wednesday instead of the usual Saturday. Citing incidents of abuse against firefighters and two alleged rape cases, Zimmer said there were “significant public safety concerns” which arose from this year’s parade, she said. Television cameras from stations such as NBC, ABC, and UPN arrived at City Hall on Tuesday to cover the news.
Zimmer said bar and restaurant owners acted “very responsible” this year by hiring extra security. She also thanked the parade committee for a “beautiful parade,” but ultimately, in a decision by the administration, the event will be moved to a Wednesday in 2012.
Zimmer said the specific time of the parade for 2012 has not been addressed yet, but anticipated that a late afternoon start would allow people to leave work early to take part in the celebration.
A total of 296 citations were issued on Saturday, according to Zimmer, which was a dramatic decrease from 555 in 2010. The police also made 34 arrests, which was up from 25 in 2010.
In 2011, public safety and emergency personnel responded to 470 calls for service, which was a decrease from 717 in 2010.
For complete coverage of the issue, pick up a copy of The Hoboken Reporter this weekend. – Ray Smith
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