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22-Mar-10 – While there were a dozen reported incidents of theft, and isolated incidents of assault, police say it was an orderly day in River North for the St. Patrick’s Day parade and annual tradition of dyeing the river green.
It was cold for the season on Saturday, March 13, and a light rain fell, but the day was a milestone for River North as it hosted the city’s only organized events celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a Chicago tradition for 31 years, was cancelled this year by organizers who said the Beverly neighborhood could no longer accommodate crowds of more than 300,000.
Chicago police at the 2009 south side parade made about 50 arrests, and there were numerous reports of drunkenness and public urination throughout the neighborhood.
This year, in the half-mile radius of Marina City that covers the north side of the Loop, most of River North, the area where the river was dyed, and the parade route, only 19 incidents were reported to police on March 13.
According to public records from the Chicago Police Department, restaurants and one bar reported half of the 12 thefts on that day. The bar and one of the restaurants is located in River North, one restaurant is on Michigan Avenue (bordering River North and Streeterville), and the rest are in the Loop.
These were not armed robberies and the amounts taken were all less than $300. Most likely, they involved patrons leaving without paying. No arrests were made.
Strong-arm robbery attempt, other thefts dot River North
Both a theft and a robbery attempt were reported in the 600 block of North Dearborn Street on Saturday, March 13. At 2:30 p.m., more than $300 was taken in a theft. Six hours later, there was a “strong-arm” robbery attempt – no weapon but physical force was used – in the same block.
A theft of less than $300 was reported at 1:00 p.m. on East Randolph Street less than a block from North Columbus Drive. At that time, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, on Columbus Drive going from Balbo to Monroe, would have been winding down one block south.
And a theft on the street of less than $300 happened at 3:00 p.m. near East Wacker Drive and North State Street. That would be on the south side of the river but close to Marina City.
There were no arrests in any of the incidents.
Simple battery incidents – physical contact that does not involve a weapon – were reported at two River North bars.
At 7:16 p.m., an assault with either minor or no injuries was reported in the 200 block of North Michigan Avenue.
The other incidents included property damage near Merchandise Mart, vandalism to a vehicle in the northwest corner of the Loop, theft from a retail store, a theft and a burglary at a department store in the 100 block of North State Street, and theft from a residential unit at Marina City.
CPD data includes only the block in which an incident occurs and not a specific address.
Thousands watch river turn green, but many stay home
For the annual tradition of dyeing the river green, police were expecting 50,000 people at the March 13 event. The weather may have discouraged some from attending.
District 18 Police Commander Kenneth Angarone says there were “no real problems” at the dyeing-of-the-river event. The 18th police district, that includes River North and the near north side of Chicago, saw an expected increase in pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the hours after the parade.
“We like to think that the proactive measures and advance planning in partnering with the hospitality industry had a positive impact in maintaining order,” Angarone told Marina City Online. “In the end, I think it was not all that much different than a normal busy Saturday.”
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(Left) District 18 Police Commander Kenneth Angarone at the quarterly meeting of River North Residents Association on March 9. |
At Dick’s Last Resort at Marina City on March 13, it was “a wild ride” but there were no incidents, according to a spokesperson.
The restaurant/bar, with a patio that overlooks the Chicago River, had its best day for sales since opening in October 2008.
“The seats started really filling up around 11 a.m.,” says Pasha Krise, Sales and Marketing Director for Dick’s Last Resort. “We had no fights, no altercations, and a lot of revelers having a great time.”
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