Police Patrols To Be Beefed Up For Hoboken Santacon Bar Crawl

HOBOKEN, NJ — Although former Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante — now the city's public safety director — won't be live-Tweeting this year's Santa bar crawl like in pre-covid times, the police will still be stepping up patrols in anticipation of the event. [UPDATE: See Photos Here: Scantily Clad Santas, Truly Tasteless Tees Mark SantaCon Hoboken Bar Crawl 2023]

At least a dozen bars in Hoboken will take part in a "Ho Ho Hoboken" bar event that runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The participating bars say they won't accept people wearing bracelets from other events.

Meanwhile, one bar, the Ale House at 11th and Willow, Tweeted Friday, "Ho, ho, ho, no, no, no, we don't participate in Santa Con" — but noted that they'll give a free draft to people showing up with dogs dressed for the holidays Saturday from 12-6 p.m.

In past years, the Santa Con bar crawl events have resulted in arrests, but the numbers have gone down. Last year, over SantaCon weekend, four people were arrested, including two for cocaine possession and one for jumping on the hood of a car — during what city officials dubbed a "relatively calm" event.

What of this year?

"Additional police have been assigned to work Saturday," said a police spokesperson. "There is a DWI enforcement planned and a zero-tolerance policy on all violations (including public urination, open container/public consumption, and disturbing the peace) with fines ranging from $250-$1,000."

She said the Fire Department will conduct inspections to make sure establishments aren't over capacity or violating other laws.

Police Chief Steven Aguiar said, "Safety is the top priority of the city of Hoboken, the Public Safety Department, and the Police Department on Santa Con, and every day. Additional officers will be on duty on Saturday, to ensure the safety and security of all residents and participants, as well as properties." He encouraged participants to use mass transit, cabs, or rideshare services.

He said, "We encourage all participants to behave responsibly, respect themselves and others, and adhere to the law. The Hoboken Police Department is also calling upon participating bar owners to cooperate with law enforcement and promote a safe atmosphere for all."

See past reporting: Hoboken SantaCon Results: 300 Police Calls, 4 Arrests, Officials Say