Last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kept local law enforcement on their toes, according to Kingston Police.

A large crowd gathered on Aberdeen St. early on Sunday morning, which police said in a press release was “unanticipated and unsanctioned.” In a tweet, Kingston Police noted that there “needs to [be] attitudinal change & responsibility taken by students to stem this problem [of street parties]. We admit we can’t do it ourselves.”

The street party came as a surprise as Aberdeen didn’t draw such a significant crowd last year.

Police served 96 liquor law violations, eight arrests for public intoxication and six noise law violations throughout the city.

There were also two highway traffic violations and two criminal code occurrences (impaired driving and breach of officer-in-charge/breach of court order) over the weekend.

A “busier than normal St. Patrick’s Day in 2012” meant planning was in place this year to deal with revelers, but police were unprepared for dealing with the Aberdeen St. celebration, which at one point reached over 1,000 people.

Last year, police deployed six additional officers and addressed 64 noise complaints, 157 tickets issued and nine arrests for public intoxication throughout the city.

The area was contained until enough officers could be on the scene, and the remaining partyers were asked to leave by 6 p.m.

As well, police executed a warrant on an illegal keg party where 8.5 kegs and $300 were seized.

Kingston Police answered more than 300 calls for service over the weekend, and in total, 48 extra officers were employed throughout the city on Sunday.

— Holly Tousignant