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Councilman Ritz urges safety changes for Saint Mary's Feast after weekend arrests
Summary
At a Safety Services & License Committee meeting Aug. 3, Councilman Ritz said his goal is safer celebrations and proposed controlled entry, fencing and wristbands; police said most arrests happened after the feast closed and off the grounds, and officials urged licensing and policing changes for the fall.
Councilman Ritz opened the Safety Services & License Committee's discussion on safety after a weekend that produced headline coverage of arrests connected in time with the Saint Mary's Feast. Speaking Aug. 3, he said his aim was to improve public safety rather than assign blame, and apologized for any divisive tone in earlier remarks: "I regret that the conversation became more divisive than productive," he said, adding that he wants to "start a conversation about safety."
Police majors told the committee that most incidents and arrests occurred late on Sunday night and not on the feast grounds. One official said there were about 20 active criminal cases opened from those late-night incidents and emphasized the timing: many events happened after fireworks and after the feast had closed. Police suggested moving the fireworks earlier and curtailing serving or entertainment hours to disperse crowds sooner. "Most of these incidents...occur later in the evening," a major said, urging consideration of earlier end times and other operational steps.
Members of the Saint Mary's Feast Society and its Ladies Auxiliary urged the council to preserve the event and clarified that many of the arrests involved nonresidents and occurred off the society's grounds. Alfred Crudail, a long-time society member who identified himself as the society's chaplain, said, "These small contingent of ne'er do wells were not Cranstonians. They were from outside of the city." Feast leaders asked the council to work with the society and the police on timing, perimeter options and other practical steps rather than imposing restrictions that would undermine the event.
Committee members and administration officials said they expect more review and recommendations ahead of the fall licensing season and encouraged continued coordination among the police department, feast organizers and the mayor's office. No formal licensing changes were adopted at the meeting; members discussed options and signaled they would consider recommendations when licenses come up for renewal later in the year.
