Drunkenness and out-of-control house parties kept police busy on Halloween
Joanne Hatherly and Katie DeRosa, with files from Sarah Petrescu, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Drunkenness and out-of-control house parties kept police busy across the region on Halloween night.
Sgt. Julie Fast, Saanich police spokeswoman, said Saanich officers were called to 22 house parties, some of which had drawn crowds of between 100 and 200.
In total, Saanich's 58 officers responded to 136 calls Saturday night and Sunday morning, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Victoria police reported a busy Saturday night that got busier when six busloads of inebriated people -- many of them University of Victoria students -- arrived downtown. Several bars refused admission to people obviously already intoxicated, said spokesman Sgt. Grant Hamilton.
Still, with 168 calls for police service, Saturday was relatively tame for the Victoria force compared with last Halloween, when police responded to 230 calls.
West Shore RCMP arrested 12 people Saturday for being drunk in public. B.C. Ambulance Service responded to 320 calls on the Island, double the normal call load.
Central Saanich police didn't have to travel far to arrest one out-of-control vandal on Halloween. An 18-year-old man blocked an unmarked police car on Wallace Street, forcing the car to stop. He then jumped on the hood and roof, stomping repeatedly.
Cpl. Janis Jean, Central Saanich police spokeswoman, said the teen was shocked when two officers exited the vehicle and arrested him. The car sustained $2,000 in damage.
Police say fireworks restrictions across Greater Victoria contributed to a quieter night.
Said Victoria police Staff Sgt. Darren Laur said: "In years past, the city would be lit up with a blue haze. The bylaw has made things a lot different."
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