FAIRYTALE OF HOBOKEN: SantaCon Fills the Drunk Tank with 8 Arrests, 20 Hospitalized and Over 500 Calls to the Police

FAIRYTALE OF HOBOKEN: SantaCon Fills the Drunk Tank with 8 Arrests, 20 Hospitalized and Over 500 Calls to the Police

(Be advised, this article contains material from outside sources using language that is NSFW.)

It’s SantaCon, babe, in the drunk tank.
Basic bro next to me, can’t wait for another one…

Sincere apologies to Shane MacGowan and Kristy MacColl for the blasphemy, but if SantaCon teaches us anything, it’s that nothing is sacred.

Yesterday’s “sleighshow” in Hoboken resulted in 8 arrests—down from 14 in 2018. Charges ranged from Aggravated Assault on an Officer to DWI to Possession of Controlled Substances. Not one arrestee was a Hoboken resident.

“Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing…”

Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps reports that 20 individual were transported to area hospitals for issues stemming form intoxication. Hoboken Police responded to 521 call for service—nearly 100 more than 2018—handed out 49 ordinance summonses, and 49 moving violations. Expanded patrols and assistance from neighboring departments for the day is reportedly expected to cost around $75,000.

There were 11 bars listed as participants for what Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla has called an “unsanctioned” event. Several other venues in town—including Leo’s Grandevous, Court Street, The Ale House, Northern Soul, Elysian Cafe and Antique Bar and Bakery—made it clear that they were not participating in what many see as a polarizing event within the hospitality community, and certainly Hoboken in general.

Of note are the comments from SantaCon NYC (held next week), who have also made an effort to put some distance between themselves and the Hoboken event. They even doubled-down with a follow-up tweet, obviously worried that the Hoboken event would besmirch the good name of the SantaCon brand (colorful language):

That last bit, about SantaCon’s charity mission, is a genuine bone of contention for Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante—who once again lit up his twitter feed with updates on the day’s shenanigans.

Meanwhile area retailers have voiced their concerns about lost revenue during a vital holiday stretch, as shoppers are to leery to venture out. As for Hoboken residents, year after year they spout their indignation SantaCon, as Hoboken’s streets are typically clogged with overserved, underdressed inebriates, waiting in lines in the cold to get into bars that are intensely scrutinized by Hoboken’s Finest.

This year, organizers claimed that videographers will be all around town throughout the event filming for “the televised documentary” covering the 25th annual SantaCon. We’ll look forward to that footage becoming part of our region’s traditional Christmas canon…

The boys of the Hoboken PD choir
Still singing ‘Go Away’
And the sirens ringing out
For Christmas day…

UPDATE:
HBO’S John Oliver piles it on. Does he mention Hoboken?
Oh yes… yes he does (NSFW)

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Authored by: hMAG