In celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, Penn students decked out in green, Philadelphians downed beers in pubs citywide and Blarney Stone installed several portable toilets outside its doors.
Meanwhile, the Southwest Police Division’s patrol personnel worked overtime to make sure yesterday’s festivities ran smoothly.
“Saint Patty’s is associated with drunkenness — I’ve been drunk since 9 a.m.!” said one College freshman who, because below the drinking age, wished to remain anonymous. However, representatives from both the Division of Public Safety and the Philadelphia Police said people are generally well-behaved during the holiday.
Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Frank Vanore said there was an “increased presence” in the University City District last night to “avoid any problems,” although police policy dictates that deployment numbers are not disclosed.
“It is more of a safety measure,” Vanore said. “We are not expecting any serious problems, but we’re always prepared.”
A roving DUI checkpoint was also moving around the city last night, although this is a measure police employ on a regular, non-holiday basis.
Similarly, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in past years, as well as the last two weeks’ Erin Express — a privately-run, bus-chartered pub crawl across Center City and University City — have “for the most part, been very calm.”
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