Day: June 30, 2014

Hi Joey,

Attached you will find our release for the 2014 Fiesta. Thanks for all the work you do at GMG, and thank you to all your readers for making this a great Fiesta!

Thanks!

Lenny

Respectfully,

Leonard Campanello

Chief of Police

City of Gloucester, MA

Saint Peter’s Fiesta Mounted Patrol VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am so happy to have celebrated St. Peters Fiesta with the citizens of Gloucester again this year. I am even happier to report the following:

The Gloucester Police Department Fiesta Response was forced to make only three arrests (two for assault, stemming from one incident, and one for drug possession) and place one individual into protective custody for drunkenness this year. Overall we received fewer than 15 Fiesta related calls for service (disturbances, mv stops, lost and found property, and capsized boat.). We received enormous cooperation from the business community and, especially, St. Peters Club and St. Peters Fiesta Committee. We also had the great support of the Essex Sheriff’s Department and the Massachusetts State Police. I cannot thank the residents, visitors, and business owners enough for their cooperation and respectfulness throughout Fiesta. I would also like to thank Mayor Carolyn Kirk for her strong support of the Fiesta Action Plan.

As you know, we always evaluate police presence at Fiesta. Our first priority, always, is to maintain a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for ALL who attend St. Peter’s Fiesta. And we can’t do it alone. This year, we had very frank discussions with business owners and interested parties, about their responsibilities in continuing to make St. Peter’s a tradition we can all be proud of. Those businesses stepped up to the plate and delivered in 2014. They are the reason for the low number of disturbances and I congratulate them on a job well done.

With the business taking such a responsible role in Fiesta, we were able to quell disturbances before they rose to the level of a police action. We were able to effectively manage the crowds of patrons at the end of the night with little more than our presence, and we believe it was one of the most successful Fiesta’s in recent history, from a public safety standpoint.

One of the most noticeable additions to this year’s Fiesta was the Mounted Unit of the State Police. We have thus far received overwhelming support for this Unit and are happy to have had them. Families enjoyed having their picture taken with the horses and their quiet presence was an effective and proactive deterrent to the historical late night disturbances.

A Fiesta that has gone this smoothly from a public safety standpoint is good for all of us. It reinforces that St. Peter’s is a RELIGIOUS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY event. And we here at GPD are proud to do are part to keep it that way.

Respectfully,
 
Leonard Campanello
Chief of Police