This year’s State Patty’s Day proved to be less of a problem for the State College Police Department and Penn State University Police, as the amount of criminal incidents over the weekend decreased compared to 2011.
State College Police reported 425 total calls this year, compared to 480 in 2011, and 25 percent fewer police incidents — 283 compared with 377 in 2011, according to a media release issued by the State College Police Department.
The number of arrests and citations — which do not yet include pending investigations — were down 3.8 percent, according to the release.
The same trend held true for University Police. According to the release, University Police data shows a 12.5 percent decrease in overall rate of incidents, from 104 in 2011 to 91 in 2012.
Arrests also decreased, as 107 people were arrested in 2011 and 71 people were arrested in 2012. Forty of the 71 arrests made by University Police, or 56 percent, were not Penn State students, according to the release.
State College Police were unable to provide data about the student status or residence of the offenders. However, anecdotal reports indicate that the department’s activity included fewer visitors than last year, according to the release.
Last year, State Patty’s Day cost State College $18,700 and the borough’s Public Works Department $15,441, according to the State Patty’s Day After Action Report 2011, compiled by the Borough of State College.
