Kingston Police have released a summary of actions taken from St. Patrick’s Day, and while a number of fines were handed out, many officers involved say it was one of the best in recent memory.
Kyle Compeau, Manager of Enforcement at the City of Kingston, credited the student engagement with police liaison teams and by-law officers for the relatively smooth affairs.
While there was still work to be done for officers, he said things were relatively tame in the grand scheme of things.
“Overall, we’re glad about how things went this weekend. We had a lot of compliance and did not have any serious safety concerns that came out of the event,” Compeau said in a release from the City.
“Attendees were mostly respectful and cooperative and when the street was taken over, we saw it dispersed quicker than in previous years.”
The University District Safety Initiative was in effect from March 11 to March 18, with a larger Police, Fire and Rescue, and Paramedic presence in the downtown University District.
The bulk of activity took place on Saturday March 16, Police declared a Nuisance Party on Aberdeen Street between Earl and William just before 2 PM, with the crowd cleared and the declaration lifted by 3.
Overall police laid 150 charges, which is less than half the amount they handed out at last year’s parties.
6 Nuisance Party violations with a fee of $2000 were given out, as well as 18 Failure to Comply with an Order to Leave Premises AMPs costing $500 apiece, 17 Amplified Sound AMPs for $200 each, and 5 “Yelling & Shouting” violation AMPs also at $200.
Kingston Police last year spent about $140,000 on law enforcement throughout the St. Pat’s weekend in 2023, a high number but one Police Chief Scott Fraser says they hope to curtail over time.
He says that the decrease in discipline shows that the enforcement is working, but reiterated that the goal is to eventually taper that off.
“The utilization of our Liaison Teams and enforcement are clearly making an impact at mass gathering events,” Fraser said.
“The entire organization working together led to a successful St. Patrick’s Day event. Our community partners contributed to ensure the safety and security of attendees and property. Despite increasing our enforcement, initial observations would include the reduction of charges laid. Our goal is to reduce our footprint at these events without jeopardizing safety or security.”
The total amount spent on enforcement this past weekend has yet to be shared.
