4 Arrested, Dozens Receive Summonses During Hoboken's Annual SantaCon
HOBOKEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Thousands of people are getting jolly for SantaCon pub crawl in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Saturday.
People got decked out in Santa suits to make the rounds at about a dozen participating bars.
The event kicked off at 10 a.m. and is expected to go well into the night.
Local police say so far there have been four arrests and nearly 50 people have received summonses as of 11 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante tweeted that many of the offenses were for open container/consumption of alcohol in public.
Ferrante added that a 29-year-old man was arrested for criminal trespass and obstruction.
No "overconsumption" summonses yet. Those would be on tavern Reports if there is evidence of a bar over-serving. The taxpayers of Hoboken are hit with an approx bill of $75K just for Police, not counting HPU or Sanitation costs. https://t.co/Zi5XlX5Era
— Chief Ken Ferrante, Ret. (@KenFerrante) December 7, 2019
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla released the following statement regarding the event:
"'Santacon' is not a city sanctioned event. Anyone who is caught violating the law will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. I thank all first responders for their service today, as well as the large majority of residents and businesses who are behaving responsibly and not participating in 'Santacon'."
Last year, 14 people were arrested during Hoboken's SantaCon.
While most attend to enjoy the good "spirits," the event also collects toy donations for children in need.