Mardi Gras 2009 Was Safe, Fun and Drew Large Crowds

Feb 25th, 2009

Mayor Sam Jones praised citizens and tourists for making 2009 Mardi Gras one of the safest and largest in the city’s history.

“With over a million people in attendance over the past two weeks, and the fact that we had only a few incidents is unprecedented,” Jones said. “This speaks volumes to the folks who attended Mardi Gras. They had a lot of fun and exemplified the true character of the event.”

Mobile Police Department released crowd figures Wednesday at 1,011,841 over a two week period, far exceeding last year which drew 901,589 people into downtown Mobile.

The Mardi Gras season yielded the following incidents: 77 (Disorderly Conduct Arrest); 64 (Minor in Possession Arrests); 30 (Possession of Marijuana Arrests); 21 (Public Drunkenness Arrests).

Jones also credited the Police and Fire with keeping the event safe. He further thanked the Public Works Department for their promptness in cleaning the streets.