Penn State and State College officials are once again looking to diminish the problems that have typically come on the weekend between THON and the university’s spring break.
For more than a decade, ‘State Patty’s Day,’ the student-invented drinking holiday, has brought a weekend of parties and boozing — and strains on police and emergency medical services.
In a letter to downtown student apartment residents on Monday, State College Police Chief John Gardner, Penn State Police Chief Keith Morris, and PSU Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Danny Shaha asked for ‘assistance and cooperation,’ noting that the weekend has resulted in more crime, arrests and alcohol overdoses than an average winter weekend.
‘In 2011, crime and alcohol overdoses were at their worst… fortunately, since 2012 conditions have improved significantly,’ the letter stated. ‘Many who engaged in excessive drinking were from out of town but were visiting students and residents living in State College. As a result we had many problems with the number and severity of alcohol violations, noise complaints, vandalism, and fights in apartment buildings and through the community during this particular weekend.’
Last year, State College and Penn State police made arrests or issued citations in 160 cases during State Patty’s weekend, and increase over 133 in 2017 and 128 in 2016. But the weekend also saw the continued trend of fewer reports of crimes and violations, with 183, down from 190 in 2017 and 207 in 2016.
Centre LifeLink EMS was dispatched to 50 calls during last year’s event, down from 95 in 2017.
Monday’s letter said that State College police will work with Penn State and other local police departments, Pennsylvania State Police and liquor control enforcement to provide a ‘substantial police presence.’
‘During the weekend, officers will focus enforcement on apartment buildings and other rental properties in the downtown neighborhoods,’ the letter said. ‘Some officers will be working uniformed patrol details while others will be working in plain clothes.’
Rental properties will have extra staff patrolling apartment hallways, and police will be patrolling hallways of some apartment buildings as well.
Any students charged with criminal violations also will be referred to the university’s Office of Student Conduct for potential disciplinary action.
Police said downtown tenants can help in several ways, including by not inviting guests to their residences this weekend and preventing any guests from yelling or throwing items from balconies. They also advised residents to not let anyone under 21 consume alcohol in their apartments or houses, to not serve large quantities of alcohol, to keep music at a reasonable level (minimum noise violation fines are $750 plus court costs) and to keep property exteriors free of trash and debris.
‘We are advising you of these concerns now, with hopes you will restrict visitors to your apartments or homes this weekend and join your friends and neighbors in helping maintain a safe and peaceful atmosphere throughout the weekend,’ the letter said,
Penn State Residence Life and the Association of Residence Hall Students also sent a message to on-campus students that they are limited to one overnight guest in residence hall rooms, or two for those in supplemental housing. The limitation has been put in place for State Patty’s Day weekend for several years.
“This limitation originated in order to curb the negative behavior associated with this particular weekend,” according to the statement from Mark Rameker, senior director of residence life, and Kayla Olowin, ARHS president.
Students found in violation of the guest limit will be referred for a conduct process and their guests will be told to find alternative arrangements for a place to stay.
