Celebration aplenty, but no arrests in Boston following Super Bowl victory

Boston Police reported no significant incidents following the New England Patriots’ dramatic Super Bowl victory Sunday night.

While groups of students could be seen celebrating around the city, Mayor Marty Walsh confirmed early Tuesday afternoon that there was not a single arrest related to the Super Bowl celebrations.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans confirmed that there was a “couple thousand kids” celebrating in the streets throughout Boston after the Sunday night’s victory, but the crowds were well-behaved, he said.

“It was a good night, a great victory for the city,” he said.

He added, “I always like to see a blowout because those spontaneous victories are our worst nightmares, but everyone behaved.”

Evans issued a letter to university students last week imploring them to celebrate responsibly.

Extra patrols were out during the game. Significant police presence could be seen at Boylston Street, Faneuil Hall and Kenmore Square. Police erected barricades for crowd control in Kenmore, which has been the site of large, and at times, ugly celebrations following championships in past years. The idea, said Evans, was to not allow “the bar crowd to mix with the college kids.”

There have been post-championship incidents in the past in the city. In 2004, for instance, fans rioted during that fall’s baseball playoffs. One woman was killed after being struck in the eye with a pepper spray pellet fired from police who were trying to disperse a crowd. That incident occurred after the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees to win the pennant and advance to the World Series.

There were also incidents of violence after the Pats won the Super Bowl that same year. Police also clashed with unruly crowds following the Boston Celtics winning it all in 2008. The city has largely avoided such ugly violence in recent years. There was no rioting in following New England’s Super Bowl loss in 2012, nor was there any significant problems following last year’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos.