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New crackdown on St Patrick’s drunks promised by Hoboken mayor

Despite banned parade, a major security operation will take place

By
KEVIN FLYNN,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Sunday, January 29, 2012, 8:04 AM
Updated Sunday, January 29, 2012, 8:08 AM

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See more: St. Patrick's Day  

Revelers at the Hoboken parade
Photo by Google Images


Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer will have her police and medical services on full alert on Saturday, March 3rd despite the cancellation of the Hoboken parade because of rowdy and drunken behavior. She warned that drunken revelers will be arrested.

She also stated that the “quality if life of our residents” is “far more important than scheduling a parade on a particular day.”

In her annual state of the city address, Zimmer stated the crime rate in Hoboken has declined by 16 percent and that maintaining public safety is a priority of the city. She cited the decision to cancel the St. Patrick's Day parade.

_______________________

READ MORE:

Hoboken, NJ, cancels St. Patrick’s Day Parade after 26 years - POLL

Hoboken residents plan ‘Lepre-Con’ celebrations to replace St. Patrick’s Day parade - POLL

Former Grand Marshal accuses Hoboken mayor of racism over St.Patrick's Day parade
__________________________

She said disorderly people will be arrested and detained if they show up. Protesters have organized a ‘Leprecon” event with thousands expected to come to Hoboken bars that day.

"The loss of the parade is a loss for Hoboken, but at the end of the day, the safety and quality of life of our residents is more important than scheduling a parade on a particular day," she said. "Even with the parade being canceled, our public safety departments will be fully mobilized."

Zimmer’s decision to cancel the parade has drawn fire and support from Irish groups. The Anti-Defamation Federation has applauded the mayor, while local bar owners and a former Grand Marshal have bitterly criticized her.

​
See more: St. Patrick's Day , Irish roots
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12 Comments

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RthrBHistCorr | Jan 30, 2012, 06:28 AM EST
One only has to read the letter from Mayor Zimmer to realize how bogus her position is. In that letter she explicitly states the parade is not the problem, but "events surrounding the parade". In other words the parade (and the Irish) are being scapegoats for the fact that Mayor Zimmer can't reign in the Bars in her town (after all Hobokens revitalization is built on its nightlife). Now the same Bar Owners who are the cause of the issue are organizing "Lepra-Con", a giant pub crawl. This has all the earmarks of a living Thomas Nast cartoon in the making. I am sure when her Honor can't contain this she will still blame the Irish

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IrelandNorth | Jan 30, 2012, 06:19 AM EST
Crackdown on the cretins, not the parade. Decommision the drunks not the parade. Arrest the alcoholics not the parade. Irish-America is the genuine Ireland, not even the real geopraphical Ireland. Ireland is governed by neo-republicans and proto-unionists in hock to corrupt bankers. Tar arais go d'ti Eireann, deoraiochtai caillte i bhfad o shin/Come back to Erin, long lost exiles.

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Springfield9 | Jan 30, 2012, 01:15 AM EST
I'm in Minnesota. I am Irish by descent. We have rowdy drunks. Oddly enough, they aren't Irish in any sense. I don't leave my home on St. Patrick's Day. The "revelers" disgust me.

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JerseyPaddy | Jan 29, 2012, 05:03 PM EST
Another fake headline on irishcentral.com… There is no new crackdown on “St. Patrick’s drunks” in Hoboken. And if there is, the mayor has not announced it yet. The “article” by Kevin Flynn doesn’t even suggest it. He offers not new, direct quote from the mayor. He is only hashing up a line from nj.com from Mayor Zimmer’s State of the City address from three days ago when she said there would be a strong police presence in the city on March 3. The mayor never issued a new warning that drunken revelers will be arrested. Thisa fabrication by Flynn. Also, the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Parade Committee cancelled the parade and not the mayor. Just more bad reporting and writing on irishcentral.com

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JerseyPaddy | Jan 29, 2012, 02:14 PM EST
I agree with Bob4620. This is an attack on the Irish. This same behavior goes on during any other public event and gathering, not just during St. Patrick's Day events. If you cancel one, you can cancel ALL if public safety is your concern.

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Murph46 | Jan 29, 2012, 02:03 PM EST
It may not be an attack on the Irish but after Bloomberg's comments which certainly didn't help,I am tired of the Irish fault making .My post below cites others and binge drinking ,but you still have to take umbrage with some of the Mayor's statements if you have a whit of Irish in ya.

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johnozed | Jan 29, 2012, 12:47 PM EST
No it is not an attack on the Irish. It is an attack of suburban twenty somethings who come to town early, starting drinking early and urinate and vomit wherever they please while their parents stay at home and 'tsk tsk' over what happens in Hoboken, not realizing their children are the problem. Other parades don't need to be stopped because other parades do not have this problem. Why not have the parade and then open the bars once the parade is completed. It wouldn't stop all drinking but would cut it down somewhat, so the kids can still get three sheets to the wind and the thin skinned Irish 'supporters' will be happy. This Irishman is glad he won't have to flee the city after all.

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PatriciaMarya | Jan 29, 2012, 12:18 PM EST
Jeez, folks: this is not an attack on the Irish - it is a calling out against the Binge Drinking Post-College age group as well as the other idiots who consider getting drunk in public a right of passage. But a right it is not. And taken care of the situation is not a free activity for the City of Hoboken...Saturday is overtime day and there is no one giving the Mayor a grant to cover the additional expense. I do agree with the person who spoke about the Irish leaders in the community of Hoboken meeting together to come up with a solution. One was to have the Parade at night, which is a non-starter. But this is about Public Drunkeness and not a slight or insult to the Irish - it is about the idiots who ruin it for everyone else.

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bob4620 | Jan 29, 2012, 10:51 AM EST
Useing public safety as a reason is a cop out...You can cancel any and every event because of public safety concerns. This is a direct attack at the Irish.

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Murph46 | Jan 29, 2012, 10:45 AM EST
PhlutiePhan -from all appearances there is something else going on with this story that isn't being told,it just doesn't add up!

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PhlutiePhan | Jan 29, 2012, 10:19 AM EST
Sounds like a vendetta against the Irish to me. Her honor the mayor should have called in Irish leaders and had a frank discussion about reform of the parade before she canclled it or in this case changed it to Wednesday evening. Once you read Jodi Kantor's book, you know exactly what is going on. Murph's comment states that "only 12%" of the population is Irish. According to the 2010 census report, the African-American population is 12.6% and the Irish (with Scotch Irish, not sure if this means inebriated Irishmen), the numbers are 12.2%. You do the math!

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Murph46 | Jan 29, 2012, 10:14 AM EST
I've been attending such functions for over 50 years,and some things are very common.First of all with only 12% of the population being Irish,not every troublemaker is a drunken Mick,I saw a limo last year hauling 8 guys around on St/Pat's and I jokingly referred to them as Limo Lithuanians to which they all agreed.Secondly if the local officials enforce open container laws it helps tremendously,And third if you took out the binge drinking punks you would eliminate about half of the trouble.Don't dare blame it all on the Irish!I know many ,many families who celebrate the High Holy Day in an appropriate manner.

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