Students seemed to tap into the Irish friendliness this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
According to a statement from the City of Kingston to The Journal, $2,000 was issued in Administrative Monetary Penalties—which are violations of municipal by-laws—over the weekend. Three offences totaled $600 on Friday, two offences totaled $400 during the day on Saturday, and five offences totaled $1,000 on Saturday night. Of the 10 penalties, seven were for amplified sound, five of which took place Saturday night, and the other three were for yelling or shouting, for a total of $2,000.
Kingston Police said they laid only five tickets on Saturday in a statement to The Journal. Two individuals were charged with having liquor in an open container, and two others were charged with public intoxication, all of which carried fines of $110. One individual was charged with failing to have an insurance card, carrying a $65 fine.
Cumulatively, this brings the total fines from the police on Saturday to $505, with a Kingston Police representative claiming they “think” those Saturday fines were the only ones laid throughout the entire University Safety District Initiative (UDSI) period, which lasted from March 13 to 18. If these were the only fines given out by police, this would mean $2,505 in fines were distributed by the Police and by-law over the four-day period.
This reflects a drop-off from previous years, with last year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations seeing $45,000 in fines administered.
READ MORE: $45,000 in fines issued for St. Patrick’s Day 2025
Police also noted that there were five arrests made on Saturday for being intoxicated in a public place, with the threshold for this offence being that the person is intoxicated enough to a point where they’ve become a danger to themselves or others.
These arrests all took place at a street party on Aberdeen St., which was ultimately declared a nuisance party.
“Aberdeen Street was declared a nuisance party at approximately 2:30 p.m. due to crowd size and public safety concerns. With cooperation from those in attendance and coordinated efforts by all agencies, the area was cleared and the declaration lifted by 3:30 p.m.,” the police wrote in a media release sent on March 18.
In its statement to The Journal, Kingston Police said they wanted to thank the student body “and commend them on their respectful behavior this past weekend during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”
“The positive demeanor in which the students conducted themselves during this event was noted by officers on the ground. Students listened to the message being delivered by our Police Liaison Team and aside from a few minor incidents; students were peaceful, lawful, respectful and safe,” Kingston Police wrote.
They added that officers “are committed to fostering an even stronger relationship with the student body and continue to work with them to make our community a safer place for everyone.”
In their March 18 media release, the police thanked partner agencies, including the City of Kingston, Kingston Fire & Rescue, Frontenac Paramedics, and the Ontario Provincial Police, for their support during and leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations.
They added that while there were a large number of individuals who participated in celebrations, the vast majority of those in attendance were respectful, safe, and in line with municipal bylaws and provincial legislation.
Tags
City of Kingston, fines, Kingston Police, St. Paddy’s, UDSI, University District Safety Initiative
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