Oktoberfest arrests hit record low

A dip in arrests this year at Oktoberfest and “Project safe semester”

Of the 38 arrests at this years Oktoberfest celebrations, only 7 were for criminal charges.

With seven nights of festhall celebrations, that’s the lowest on record, and averages less than 2 arrests per night being taken to the Central Lock-up.

Police Chief Bryan Larkin says imparied driving charges are also down this year.

“There’s only so many cabs in the region, but with the addition of Uber, Drive Safe, and some of those other agencies that provide opportunities, we’ve really seen the demand,” says Larkin. “I think a lot of good education has been happening around impaired driving in our community, I think we’ve made some really good strides around that process.”

Larkin says there were no incidents at all three opening ceremonies, including Downtown Kitchener which featured a keg tapping with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Traditional Oktoberfest goers would notice that we had some different security measures in place including barricades, to ensure the safety and security of all participants,” says Larkin. “Overall, the event was very successful and I was able to get a ‘Larkie’ with the Prime Minister, so it was a great day.”

Project Safe Semester had low numbers this year as well with 453 incidents reported this year, compared to 600 in 2015.

During the project, police saw only one significant incident after two men started to fight in the street and were hit by a vehicle.

Only one keg party was busted, compared to five in 2015.

Police say time was spent addressing public complaint calls and making sure they didn’t progress into more serious incidents.