City urges revelers to practice restraint at Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston
As the city gears up for St. Patrick’s Day festivities, city officials are urging revelers to practice restraint at Sunday’s parade in South Boston.
In a joint statement released today, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Mayor Thomas M. Menino said police will have zero tolerance for public consumption of alcohol.
“Throughout the holiday weekend, the Boston Police Department will be taking steps to increase patrols, focusing not only on the parade route […] but also at drinking establishments,’’ the statement said. “Our intent is to encourage people to celebrate responsibly while strictly adhering to all alcohol laws.’’
Boston police spokesman Officer James Kenneally said officers will work to ensure that the parade is a safe, family-friendly event.
“From a law enforcement perspective, we’re hoping that people are going to make our jobs easy, plain and simple,’’ Kenneally said.
The city has restricted liquor stores to open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Bars in South Boston will not serve alcohol after 7:30 p.m., officials said, and no patrons will be allowed inside after 6:30 p.m.
Police have also set up a “party hotline’’ — 617-343-5500 — that residents can call if festivites in their neighborhood get out of control.
Police will also have surveillance cameras installed along the South Boston parade route to monitor the floats and the crowds on Sunday, Kenneally said. The video may be used as evidence in the case of arrests, he said.
“It’s an eye in the sky, if you will,’’ Kenneally said. “It will help us monitor the parade, and in the event we need to respond, we’ll be able to do so effectively with the use of these cameras.’’
The MBTA will run extra trains on the Red Line Sunday to accommodate the large crowds. There will also be extra service on Bus 7 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., running from South Boston’s City Point to South Station.
The parade, which is expected to bring about 500,000 people to South Boston, will begin at 12:45 p.m.
at the Broadway MBTA station, moving southeast on West Broadway Street. It will proceed to East Broadway Street, take a right on P Street, and another right on East Fourth Street.
Moving west, the parade will turn left on K Street and right onto East Fifth Street. At G Street, it will turn left and follow along the southern edge of Thomas Park, turning left at Telegraph Street and making another left at Dorchester Street. The parade will conclude at Andrew Square.
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