'State Patty's Day' Event in Pennsylvania Generates 311 Calls to Police

Viral party begun by Penn State students leads to 14 PA DUI arrests.

An early St. Patrick's Day celebration started by Penn State students led to a spike in police calls, crime and drunk driving arrests in State College, Pennsylvania. Dubbed 'State Patty’s Day', the weekend party generated 311 calls to police, 79 criminal arrests, 21 alcohol overdoses, 31 noise citations and 14 arrests for driving under the influence in PA.

This is the third year for the event, which is primarily promoted through social networking web sites, such as Facebook. One organizer said he asked participants to "celebrate safely". This year’s event reportedly drew alumni and students from other schools besides Penn State. There were a total of 262 calls to police last year.

The demand for police stretched the city's services, leading many to criticize the focus and impact of the event. Some noted the use of ambulances to carry inebriated revelers, which left limited medical personnel for other types of emergency. A spokesperson with the State College police department said the scale of the event and potential danger to the public was evident by the number of arrests made for Pennsylvania DUI even with overworked manpower.

Campus and city law enforcement officers are hoping the crime rate decreases on the real St. Patrick's Day, now that the students have celebrated.

Have you or someone you know been charged with PA DUI?