St. Patty’s party—fewer people, more arrests

With crowds of partiers significantly smaller than in past years, Chico police thought they might be getting off easy this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, until arrests began to spike around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Out of 108 individuals arrested over the weekend, the majority of arrests occurred on Monday, March 17, with most occurring in the late afternoon and evening. Chico Police Lt. Mike Weber said that, while attendance was down, likely due to bad weekend weather and a rescheduled spring break for Chico State students, the number of people arrested actually went up.

“It’s a cause for concern,” Weber said. “It shows that the criminal element increased. Based on what I’m seeing it’s growing every year.”

Weber conceded that the smaller crowds may have made it easier for police to make arrests, which could partially account for the higher numbers. There were few incidents of violence or property damage, Weber reported, although a prisoner transport vehicle on loan from Glenn County had its windows kicked and broken by drunk occupants.

Police activity over the weekend included:

· 108 arrests in total, with 68 occurring on St. Patrick’s Day

· 57 arrests (76 percent of total) for drunk in public

· 11 arrests for driving under the influence

· 21 arrests Monday (30 percent of total) of people from outside the area

· 13 arrests Monday of individuals under 21

· More than 50 citations for alcohol and traffic violations

In addition to these citations, five businesses licensed to sell alcohol were identified by Alcoholic Beverage Control officers as code violators and may have their licenses suspended or revoked.