The University Police Department (UPD) and San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) reported that St. Patrick’s Day was quieter than in past years as the city turned green over the weekend.
UPD reported 24 violations, which resulted in 12 citations and seven arrests. Many of the citations were for minors in possession of alcohol, as well as minors with fake IDs.
UPD received funding for a special operation to check for fake IDs at several nearby stores and bars through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s GAP Grant Project. Officers focused on preventing underage drinking and over-intoxication at parties.
“As a result of the enforcement, a large quantity of alcohol was removed from and kept out of the hands of underage drinkers,” according to a news release.
SLOPD also added additional staff for the weekend to address increased crowds and celebrations. Many downtown bars opened at 6 a.m., drawing long lines of celebrating students.
There were a total of 24 arrests by SLOPD, compared to 40 in 2018 over the same weekend. SLOPD reported 14 drunk in public offenses and one arrest for a fake ID. There were three arrests for driving under the influence.
Citations were also down and noise violations were cut in half compared to last year.
SLOPD said they enforced a zero tolerance policy for noise violations, open containers and for being drunk in public.
“The San Luis Obispo Police Department would like to thank the overwhelming majority of our community members, particularly our student population who made smart and responsible decisions on St. Patrick’s Day,” according to the news release.
The City of San Luis Obispo took preventative measures to keep violations down ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, such as installing portable toilets on Higuera Street.