Controlling party cost police $163,000 in OT

WATERLOO REGION — Waterloo Regional Police spent $163,000 in overtime costs to police the St. Patrick’s Day street party on Ezra Avenue.

At a Waterloo Regional Police Services Board meeting on Wednesday, police broke down their total cost — $330,000 — to monitor the Mar. 17 event.

The breakdown included $41,000 to pay for officers from a Peel Region public safety unit who came that day to help control the crowd.

Police estimated the crowd on the street at 22,400 and that doesn’t include students piled on porches, in backyards or congregated on neighbouring streets.

Deputy Chief Kevin Thaler said police had 241 officers involved in policing the day.

In total, 648 charges were laid, up from 197 last year.

The charges were mostly related to alcohol — 440 — while other charges were trespassing, public nuisance and driving-related infractions.

There were 22 criminal charges laid connected to assaults, drunk driving and weapon charges.

Last week, police, along with the City of Waterloo, the universities and paramedics announced that they were cre-

ating a task force with a five-year plan aimed at shutting down the street party.

They said all together the various agencies spent $713,500 to manage and control St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Police estimate students from 37 post-secondary schools were in Waterloo to celebrate.

Police say they are concerned with the number of students that come from outside the region.

Police expect expenses to increase next year. He said police will need to bring officers in to help control the day.

“Do we need a separate budget line for such an event?” Larkin said.

Board chair Tom Galloway said hiring outside police was a first this year.

“It’s a threshold I didn’t want to cross,” he said.

Galloway praised police for a job well done and managing a small town gathered on Ezra.

“These kinds of events can go bad real quick,” he said.

Other expenses for police included non-overtime wages of $18,000, such as moving officers into other jobs, $64,000 to assign senior officers to manage the day and $44,000 for radio equipment for officers.

Larkin said $3,000 of the $44,000 was used to have food and water for all officers and staff working on the Saturday.