This past weekend, the Bowling Green community took part in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations ahead of the March 17 holiday.
Local law enforcement said preparations were set in place prior to the holiday in anticipation for the multi-day festivities.
“We typically have extra officers assigned during busy weekends or during special events. This past weekend, we had extra officers working in anticipation of it being busier,” Bowling Green Police Division Deputy Chief Adam Skaff said in an email statement. “On St. Patrick’s Day itself, we also typically have additional personnel working the road or that are assigned to enforce alcohol violations and disorderly conduct offenses.”
According to Skaff, there were a total of 296 CAD (computer-aided dispatch) events from 3 p.m. on Friday until 8 a.m on Monday.
“This could be anything from a request to unlock a vehicle, to a fight, to a traffic stop for speed and everything in between,” he said.
He stated they had 57 calls that required a full report, “meaning more than something that could be handled fairly quickly,” and this is when “officers would have to type a full-blown narrative report.”
Skaff also said that there were a few OVIs (operating a vehicle impaired) and between about 10 to 15 alcohol arrests.
Typical citations seen on St.Patrick’s Day are related to alcohol or nuisance type of offenses, along with underage possession, open container, litter and loud music offenses, according to Skaff. He said call volume can depend on the weather, along with the day of the week that the holiday falls on for that year. Because St.Patrick’s Day fell on a Tuesday, festivities spread out multiple days.
He also said that there was an increase in patrol focused on the downtown area near the bars.
Many students at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) take part in downtown Bowling Green festivities and pub celebrations.
St. Patrick’s Day traditions, originally a religious feast day for Ireland’s patron saint, have evolved into a global celebration of Irish culture.
Erica Harris, BGSU sophomore, said she doesn’t typically celebrate on the actual day of the holiday, but she took part in weekend festivities.
“We played games, wore green and had a good time,” Harris said.
Harris said busy holidays such as St.Patrick’s Day could bring concerns of student safety due to large crowds.
“Theres always a safety concern with a lot of people out at night at the same time,” Harris said.
Freshman Alexis Shadley said that she didn’t take part in any St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this past weekend, but discussed some of the traditions she would take part in if she did.
“Wear green, and go out with my friends just around BG’s campus…” Shadley said.
Shadley also said that there should be extra precautions taken during St.Patrick’s Day weekend.
“There should probably be some monitoring around it, but at the end of the day, they’re college kids so they’re going to do what they want,” Shadley said.
Some of the key traditions feature green clothing, parades and traditional meals like corned beef and cabbage.
More popular customs include dyeing landmarks green, drinking green beer and folklore-inspired activities like searching for leprechauns.
Those with safety concerns can contact the Bowling Green Police Division at 419-352-2571 or visit their website.
For more information on BGSU Police, visit https://www.bgsu.edu/public-safety/bgsu-police.html
