Spring break favorable for St. Patrick's Day activity

Chico police make just 13 arrests in 24-hour span

Due to Chico State University scheduling its spring break to coincide with St. Patrick's Day, police response to illegal alcohol consumption was low for the March 17 celebration.

University and Butte College students were out of town, with classes resuming today. That, in turn, contributed to a low caseload for the Chico Police Department, according to a department press release.

A tabulation from Chico police showed only 13 arrests during the period starting at 7 a.m. Friday and ending at 7 a.m. Saturday. Officers arrested five people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, four for public intoxication and four for other, unspecified reasons.

Police issued no alcoholrelated citations, which according to the department could have reached approximately 40 citations in the days before the spring break scheduling. There continues to be significant decline in house parties in the south campus and west side residential areas.

According to the department, the main St. Patrick's Day activity occurred during the afternoon, evening and night hours; it revolved around downtown bars and restaurants.

“Though still manageable, the Chico Police Department had a notable increase in calls for service compared the prior weekend,” the release said. “Regular patrol staffing was increased with a special team assigned to address specific holiday-related activity in Chico's downtown area and west side.”

Chico State began scheduling spring break to include St. Patrick's Day in 2003, in an effort to curb the “problem of excessive student use of alcohol and the community disruption this sometimes creates during St. Patrick's Day,” according to a memorandum issued in 2001 by then-Chico State president Manuel Esteban.

Chico police reported

more than 100 arrests in the city related to St. Patrick's Day festivities in 2002. They also issued hundreds of alcohol-related citations.

For purposes of comparison, there were just three arrests associated with the festivities in 2022.

Pre-pandemic, a single “drunk in public” arrest in the downtown area and one arrest for driving under the influence marked the 2016 celebration. Police also issued several citations for open containers of alcohol.