Inspector: Parade Went Off 'Without a Hitch'

The 63rd annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Rocky Point was "a fine parade" that saw few incidents as a result of the festivities, according to the Suffolk County Police Department's seventh Precinct commander.

Inspector William Neubauer said no arrests were made during the parade itself, and four arrests were made afterward.

"The parade went off really without a hitch. ... It was a fine parade," he said in an interview Wednesday.

"As is often the case, however, it’s the post-parade festivities that often times draw our attention," he added.

Two men were charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for allegedly having cocaine on them following the parade. The inspector also said three special DWI patrols were set up at various places in Rocky Point; each of those patrols made one DWI arrest.

Police couldn't determine whether other DWI arrests made later that day in the towns immediately surrounding Rocky Point were a result of the post-parade festivities. A police spokesperson said most reports involving intoxicated drivers do not specify where they had been drinking.

Neubauer couldn't specify how many officers were on duty for the parade itself, but said all six precincts outside of the seventh precinct sent officers to help keep things in order.

"This is the norm. ... It’s a mutual support situation," he said.