Pub Crawl In Hoboken ‘Lepre-Calmed’ In 2019 After Rowdy Past

HOBOKEN, NJ — Some might say that the 2019 Leprecon in Hoboken was “lepre-calmed.”

While Hoboken police made four arrests and got 322 calls for service during this year’s pub crawl on Saturday, the annual event was decidedly mellower than in years past, some officials said.

According to Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante:

“There were 12 city ordinance violations issued, down from 37 last year. There were six arrests, but only four attributed to Leprecon, same as last year. There were no sexual assaults or contacts reported, no serious injuries reported and no complaints against any Hoboken police officers.”

Previous incarnations of the annual festival – which is not affiliated with the city – have included arrests for assault and DWI, as well as offenses such as urinating in public, disorderly house parties and disorderly conduct.

• See related article: 4 Arrested During 2018 LepreCon Pub Crawl
• See related article: Hoboken Suspends 5 Bars From LepreCon Pub Crawl

According to Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, “proactive measures” reduced the number of participating bars by 50 percent this year.

“I’m grateful to [Chief Ferrante] and all law enforcement for helping ensure a much calmer day than past years,” Bhalla stated.

The Hoboken Fire Department – which conducted inspections of the participating bars during Leprecon – reported that despite 90 combined incidents and inspections, officials didn’t issue a single penalty for code violations this year.

“Thank you to Hoboken bar and restaurant owners for your compliance,” the HFD stated.

“You might say this chaotic dumpster fire of a day has been largely lepre-calmed,” former city spokesperson Juan Melli commented on social media, summing up the feelings of many locals.

In 2019, Hoboken police reported the following Leprecon-related statistics:

• 322 calls for service (down from 366 in 2018)
• 22 people transported to Hoboken University Medical Center for treatment (down from 23 in 2018)
• 37 motor vehicles summons (same as 2018)

According to the Hoboken Police Department, this year’s arrests included an incident involving a 28-year-old Lyndhurst resident, who was arrested for a domestic violence-related aggravated assault at 1:35 a.m. on Sunday.

Other arrests included:

Marijuana In Car - “While in the area of 6th Washington Street, Officers Huggins and Caraballo initiated a motor vehicle stop. The vehicle’s temporary license plate was obstructed preventing them from reading it. As they approached the driver side, they immediately detected the odor of brunt marijuana coming from inside. Officer Huggins was also able to observe in plain view a clear plastic bag with green vegetation of suspected CDS marijuana. The driver was asked to step out of the vehicle and was placed under arrest. He was later released with a summons to appear in court along with several motor vehicle summonses.”

Cop Smells Joint - “While patrolling the area of Newark and River Street, the defendant walked past the officers holding a lit cigarette. The officers detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the defendant. The male was ordered to stop and dropped the lit cigarette onto the ground. The officers recovered a lit cigarette of suspected CDS marijuana. The defendant was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters where he was released with a summons to appear in court.”

No Headlights on Car - “While on patrol, Officer Albert observed a 2018 blue Kia traveling north on Washington Street without the use of headlights. Officer Albert was able to observe the driver swerve side to side and nearly strike pedestrians. A motor vehicle stop was initiated in the area of 5th Washington Street. As the officer approached the vehicle, he was able to observe the driver with glassy eyes and the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the driver. Officer Arroyo conducted the field sobriety test which was driver was not able to properly complete. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to headquarters. At headquarters a breath sample was provided and he was found to be over the limit. The driver was issued motor vehicle summonses for the offenses and later released to a responsible party.”

Pix 11 News posted the below video with scenes from this year’s event.

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Photo: YouTube / Pix 11 News