WATERLOO — The size of Saturday's Homecoming party on Ezra Avenue was down significantly from past years.

"Overall, today, we are pretty happy," said Const. Andre Johnson, of the Waterloo Regional Police.

No officials are taking credit, but they are all relieved and hope the smaller crowd is the reversal of a street party trend that peaked on St. Patrick's Day, when more than 30,000 revellers jammed Ezra, Clayfield Avenue and Bricker Avenue.

Last year's Homecoming at Wilfrid Laurier University saw more than 14,000 on those streets.

"We can say fairly confidently that over all we have seen a significant decrease in peak attendance," said Johnson. "We don't have numbers right at this moment, but we have been encouraged by what we have seen so far."

Ezra, Bricker and Clayfield were closed to traffic early in the day. Four 'pods' surrounded by metal fences were put on Ezra — each with four port-a-potties, a small scaffolding with a platform where police officers watched the crowd and garbage cans. These pods helped break up the crowd.

King Street at the end of Ezra was closed to traffic. Paramedics set up a first- aid station there. Waterloo city council also beefed up its nuisance bylaw, and posted signs that said: "Homecoming activities on WLU property only, street parties on city roadways are unlawful and present safety hazards to participants and the public."

Heavy fencing was erected around Laurier student housing and privately-owned student accommodations. Only students who lived in the buildings or invited guests were allowed to pass by security guards.

Police officers from the OPP and Peel Region bolstered the ranks of Waterloo Regional Police. The Toronto paramedic service loaned the region a bus converted into a casualty treatment station, and it was parked at the end of Ezra.

"It will take some time to debrief," said Johnson. "But again, we are pretty satisfied with the results."

Four people were arrested.

Shayne Turner, Waterloo's director of bylaw enforcement, said the pods, fencing and stronger nuisance bylaw all helped.

"Just making it less of a party atmosphere," he said. "The crowds were there, but seemed to be continually moving."

Bylaw officers wrote tickets for public urination, noise and unsafe conditions.

Paramedics treated 14 people; 10 of them had to be taken to hospital.

"Most were alcohol-abuse related, we did have one medical call and one reveller had a minor fall," said Jim Topham, deputy chief of Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services.

The Homecoming crowd for the unsanctioned street party started late and thinned early. At 11 a.m. Saturday there were far more police and security guards on the streets than revellers. By 2:45 p.m., though, the area around Ezra and Clayfield was packed. At 6:30 p.m. no people were on Ezra.

The last big party on Ezra occurred on St. Patrick's Day, when more than 30,000 people jammed the area. It cost the Region of Waterloo and the City of Waterloo about $747,000 for police officers, paramedics and fire calls.

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WLU, the City of Waterloo, the region, police and paramedics formed a task force to find ways of reducing the size of the crowds.

"And the task force is going to continue to do that work," said Turner. "The focus, I believe, is going to be on two or three more years work by that group. It is going to take a bit to completely refocus this event."