The Waterloo Regional Police Service laid more than 200 charges, including 19 criminal offences, during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
In an email to CTV News, police said 168 charges under the Highway Traffic Act, 35 Liquor Licence and Control Act charges and 19 Criminal Code charges were issued.
The criminal charges ranged from sexual assault, assault, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, disobeying a court order, dangerous operation of a vehicle and operation while impaired.
Police said more charges could be coming as investigators review footage from various cameras, including CCTV cameras, set up around the university district ahead of the large unsanctioned street party.
Police said there were a few small gatherings on private property in the morning and evening, until around 2 p.m. when people started to gather, defying a court injunction granting officers the power to arrest and criminally charge any partiers who were deemed to be a nuisance.
“A large crowd was observed descending off the sidewalk and onto Marshall Street, in what we believe was a planned, organized attempt to take over the street,” the email said.
Officers then shut down multiple streets in the area as their focus pivoted to public safety and crowd management.
“At approximately 6:45 p.m., officers utilized a LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) to provide instructions to the crowd and using the authority of the injunction. The street was safely cleared within 30 minutes,” the email continued.
At the height of the party, police believe there were between 20,000 and 25,000 people on Marshall Street.
Between 5 p.m. on March 15 and 3:30 a.m. on March 18, police responded to more than 450 incidents and made at least 17 arrests.
A full report will be presented to the Police Service Board on April 16.
Meanwhile, bylaw officers with the City of Waterloo said they responded to at least 100 calls and handed out 54 tickets during the festivities. Most of the charges were for nuisance parties and orders related to maintenance and property standards issues.
Injunction order defiance
Waterloo Regional Police Service Chief Mark Crowell expressed his disappointment with how the day unfolded, especially in light of the injunction.
“I think [the injunction] spoke very pointedly to the risk, the cost and the strain put upon emergency services [and] community services. There is still some more analysis to happen of the behaviour we saw over the weekend,” Crowell said Wednesday in an interview with CTV News.
Crowell noted the consequences of the party spread beyond the police service, impacting other emergency services, such as paramedics, as well as put strain on the health care system.
Police said the flagrant disregard for the order will not deter officers from seeking other solutions.
“One thing that I think needs to be made clear, we’re going to keep working at this until this type of unsanctioned, unsafe, irresponsible gathering doesn’t happen,” said Ian McLean, chair of the Police Service Board.
