By 4 p.m. on the eighth annual State Patty’s Day, police had issued citations for public drunkenness, underage drinking and public urination – but police said numbers aren’t out of the ordinary for this student-created holiday – yet.
About 53 calls were made to the State College Police Department between Friday and Saturday afternoon.
State College Police Lieutenant Chris Fishel said while police treat State Patty’s Day like any other event weekend, such as a home football game, they are able to concentrate specifically on apartment parties and students flocking downtown past Beaver Avenue because no bar in the area is serving alcohol.
Fishel said another difference is that the increase in individuals drinking during the day means citations for incidents such as public drunkenness are issued in higher frequency starting around 2-3 p.m., whereas other weekend nights a spike in citations are seen around midnight.
Noise complaints have been an issue, Fishel said. The borough is working with downtown realtors and apartment owners to deter parties from either starting or getting out of control.
“Right now, things are manageable,” he said at 4 p.m.
One incident was reported at 11:20 p.m. Friday where an individual fell down the stairs at India Pavilion, 228 E. Calder Ave., and crashed through the window. The individual suffered a laceration above the right eye and was taken to the hospital. Police could not say whether the incident was alcohol-related.
All state stores closed at 6 p.m. Friday after being told to do so by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. They will open on Sunday.
By the numbers:
State College Police
- Open container: 5 incidents
- Public urination/defecation: 6
- Noise ordinance violations: 6
- Underage drinking: 3
- Public drunkenness: 2
- Alcohol furnishing: 2
Penn State Police:
- Public drunkenness: 8 (all were transported to the hospital)
- Underage drinking: 11
- Driving under the influence (DUI): 1
