Police in Morristown New Jersey arrested fewer people during the recent Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
According to authorities, local law enforcement issued fewer tickets and made fewer arrests at the 2015 parade than in 2014.
A lieutenant with the Morristown Police Department said that police are “pleased to see a downward trend” in the total number of arrests made and tickets issued during the annual parade.
Morristown NJ police released arrest figures from this year’s parade. Police arrested a total of just 16 people this year, which represents a sharp decline from the 29 people arrested during the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Moreover, just 7 of the people arrested were charged with disorderly conduct.
Additionally, Morristown police issued 30 summonses to parade attendees for municipal ordinance violations. During the 2014 parade, police issued 34 tickets these sorts of violations.
Beyond that, police issued a total of 19 summonses for illegally drinking at this year’s parade.
A total of 8 citations were handed out at this year’s parade for public urination. The low number could be the result of an increase in fine amounts for violators: the local government doubled the fine for first-time offenders from $250 to $500, while repeat offenders are now subject to a fine of $1,000.
In addition to the low number of arrests and tickets issued during the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day parade, the total number of emergency calls was also down. Emergency medical services needed to respond to only 25 calls, with none of the reported injuries being very serious.
Morristown police were unable to offer any reasons for the decline in arrests this year. However, it’s likely that poor weather conditions resulted in fewer people showing up for the parade.