Dayton, UD police get ready for busy holiday

St. Patrick’s Day brings excess of revelry, especially on Saturday.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday for the first time in six years, and the busiest drinking day of the year for some Dayton businesses is expected to draw even larger crowds than usual because many people will have the day off.

But police for the city of Dayton and the University of Dayton say they are ready for the holi- day — even if the revelry gets out of control.

Police say they do not expect to see the kinds of raucous crowds that flooded the streets around the UD campus when its basketball team went deep into the NCAA basketball tournament in 2013.

“We do take precautionary measures and set up contingency plans in case of something getting out of hand,” said Dayton police Major Joseph Wiesman.

Dayton also hasadded a variety of new breweries, bars and places to drink in the last five years.

To prepare for the week- end, Dayton’s East Patrol Operations Division will have about a dozen additional police officers working on Saturday, some of whom will assist UD police, said Wiesman. That means the division will have about 30 police officers total work- ing the holiday. Police also expect to have a strong pres- ence in and around the Oregon District because of its dense concentration of bars.

The Central Patrol Operations Division, which covers downtown, also will have a beefed-up police presence.

UD police will increase the number of officers patrolling student neighborhoods this weekend, school officials said. UD is partnering with Dayton police, Sinclair Community College police and the Ohio Division of Liquor Control to increase the pres- ence of law enforcement in residence halls and student neighborhoods.

“I’m not really concerned about that. Our students behave. They know their expectations in cold weather and warm weather,” said UD police Chief Rodney Chatman on Wednesday. “There are likely to be more students out ... but I think we’re adequately resourced to keep the neighborhoods safe.”

Most students who were enrolled during the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day disturbances have since graduated or left and the events of a few years ago are rarely talked about anymore, UD admin- istrators said. But, March 17 “isn’t a random Saturday,” said Christine Schramm, UD dean of students and asso- ciate vice president.

As usual, UD has a number of campus events planned for the holiday weekend. Fliers have been printed and posted, encouraging students to attend events that are not centered around alcohol.

“It’s important that we have different kinds of events for different kinds of stu- dents,” Schramm said. “Not everyone has to or should engage in this kind of behavior. Not everyone has to enjoy a beer on St. Patrick’s Day.”

The last time St. Paddy’s Day fell on a Saturday was March 17, 2012.

Dayton Municipal Court records show there were 29 people in the city who were charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct and open container violations that day. That’s more charges than the last three St. Patty’s Day holidays combined. UD police recorded 22 arrests and citations on March 17 and 18 in 2012, 8 more than in 2017.

Dayton police have contin- gency plans for many types of emergencies, Wiesman said.

For example, police have paddy wagons available in case they need to make mass arrests if riots break out, he said. Wiesman, however, does not expect major prob- lems. St. Paddy’s Day generally causes less commotion than the parties following some major UD basketball victories, he said.

On Saturday, the streets of the Gem City will turn green as they fill up with fun-seekers wearing the color of Ireland, the Emerald Isle.

The fun begins early and, at some places, will not come to a close until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Many bars across Dayton will see increased foot traffic, including some traditional hotspots such as the Dublin Pub at 300 Wayne Ave., Flanagan’s Pub at 101 E. Stewart St. and the Oregon Historic District.

Flanagan’s is expecting a substantial increase in foot traffic for St. Patrick’s Day since it is on Saturday, and the holiday already is by far the busiest day of the year for the business, said Colin Pohlman, the pub’s owner.

This year, Flanagan’s will have live music in its tent throughout the day that will be accompanied by Irish dancers and a fife and drum corps, he said.

Dub Pub, which expanded in 2014, every year sets up a tent in the parking lot to accommodate the large crowds. The pub will serve breakfast and Guinness at 5:30 a.m. and have bands, live music and dancers throughout the day. Up the street, at 210 Wayne Ave., Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse will open on St. Paddy’s Day.