Seal Beach Police plan a heavy presence on Main Street for St. Patrick’s Day 2014, according to Sgt. Phil Gonshak, the department’s public information officer.
Gonshak said the plans were essentially those as last year.
This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration falls on a Monday, March 17, when everyone who is Irish—and everyone who is not—will celebrate the man who Christianized Ireland.
With four Irish bars and several restaurants licensed to sell alcohol, tourists and residents traditionally flock to Seal Beach’s Main Street to honor the first man in recorded history to condemn slavery (if you believe Thomas Cahill’s “How the Irish Saved Civilization.”)
Gonshak said police will be working crowd control on Monday.
Gonshak said police were “hoping for little, but expecting the most” in terms of turnout for Monday’s festivities.
Police traditionally set up their St. Patrick’s Day shop on Central Avenue at Main, next to Javatinis.
Grant money helps pay for the annual cost of the St. Patrick’s Day police presence on Main.
The Seal Beach Lions Club traditionally provides rides home for those who have too much to drink. This year, Lions will provide the ride service from 3 to 11 p.m.
While St. Patrick’s Day in Seal Beach can sometimes be rowdy, last year’s celebration was subdued.
Sgt. Ron La Velle, who was the Police Department’s spokesman in 2013, said at the time that crowds were moderate. Business was good for the food and drink industry. There were no major problems. According to a 2013 Lions Club press release, the bars became quiet at 11 p.m. last St. Patrick’s Day, so the ride service ended that night.
“It never looked super crowded,” Lavelle said, referring to Main Street.
“I think for the most part, the taverns did pretty well for themselves,” he said.
