A sunny, relatively balmy day. A close game that kept fans in—and jumping out of—their seats until the final gun. And, of course, a Buffalo Bills win, thanks to 24 unanswered fourth-quarter points.

On the surface, things sounded perfect for law enforcement officers working the Bills-Dolphins game Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

But they still had a busy day, logging 34 arrests, 32 by deputized APEX Security officers inside the stadium and two by Orchard Park police outside.

“That is starting to become an average number of arrests now,” Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew D. Benz said.

The number of arrests can be a tricky barometer. A high number can reflect a particularly rowdy day, or it can suggest that the Bills and law enforcement officials are cracking down harder.

“I think this is a result of the Bills taking a more pro-arrest approach toward people causing problems in the stadium,” Benz said.

Sunday’s arrest number, between 30 and 35, has become the norm for Bills games lacking any major negative crowd-control factors such as a night game, a blowout loss in nasty weather or a game with the Oakland Raiders.

No such negatives showed up Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but law-enforcement officials still had their hands full.

One of the people arrested inside the stadium, Kevin McLeary, 20, of Williamsville, was charged with inciting a riot and was issued a ticket for alcohol possession by a minor after he allegedly approached several dozen people in a smoking area and screamed, “Jump the cops. Jump the cops,” according to police reports.

Sarah A. St. John, 27, of Lake View, was charged with second-degree assault for allegedly punching a deputized APEX Security officer in the face.

Four days before the Bills host the New York Jets on Thursday in Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Ontario residents accounted for 13 of the 34 arrests, or about 38 percent. Bills officials have estimated that Canadians make up roughly 15 percent to 20 percent of the team’s home crowds.

A year ago, 21 of the 33 people arrested by security officers and Orchard Park police at the Nov. 30 Bills-49ers game were Canadians, and that was one week before another Bills game in Toronto.

That could be explained by a larger group of Canadians attending Bills games late in the season, following the end of the Canadian Football League season.

Away from the stadium, State Police announced that a DWI and Traffic Enforcement detail throughout the area Sunday led troopers to issue 44 tickets, including two for driving while intoxicated and four for seat belt violations.

Those roving saturation patrols were held between 1 and 7 p. m. in connection with both the Bills game and a lengthy Thanksgiving week initiative.

“We didn’t investigate one serious or fatal accident during the holiday travel period,” State Police Lt. Kevin M. Barnas said Monday. “[We hope] our mere presence might be slowing people down.”