Last night I predicted that PPD would arrest more people during this year's Mardi Gras festivities than last year's. I was completely off the mark. In fact, it was so quiet downtown that several officers were sent home early. Here's the stats, compliments of Fox 12 and the Oregonian:

38 juveniles were detained.

19 motorists were nabbed for DUIs.

4 people were arrested.

"2 girls who were exposing themselves were taken into protective custody after they started to draw a crowd."

My prediction was completely wrong but here's what I observed during a quick buzz through downtown on the way to and from the Popeye's on MLK.

The cops were out in full force. Outside the central precinct, a line of officers were milling about. Nearby two Tri-Met buses were waiting with their emergency lights running. From what I've heard, PPD rolls out buses as makeshift paddy-wagons anytime there potential for a riot, protest, etc. They were everywhere. On foot, bike, car and motorcycle (didn't spot any on horseback though).

Coming off the Burnside Bridge into downtown I spotted no less than four separate pairs of red and blue lights. One officer was responding to an incident involving a hipster that had evidentially passed out on a sidewalk. Three others were handing out speeding tickets. Looks like the folks over at Metrobloging Portland were right. During its ongoing restoration, the bridge is going to be a full-scale speed trap.

So it looks like the one-two punch of rain and a heavy police presence kept things under control last night. I don't know what I was thinking. This is yet another reason why I'm not a gambling man.