Indiana police go on alert for IUPatty's celebration at university
St. Patrick's Day may have come and gone in most places, but officials in Indiana say they're prepared for a delayed celebration of the holiday in their town.
Responding to social media chatter that Indiana University of Pennsylvania students and others plan to celebrate the holiday this weekend, extra police will be on patrol throughout the borough.
“We've been preparing for spring events,” Indiana Borough police Sgt. William Vojtek said. “This particular weekend, there's been a lot of social media talk (about the delayed celebration).”
Still fresh in the minds of police and university officials is last year's student-planned celebration — dubbed IUPatty's — that jammed the town with hundreds of college-aged revelers fueled by alcohol.
At one point, a crowd of more than 400 packed South Seventh Street, where partiers taunted police and got into brawls that were videotaped and later posted on the Internet.
Police responded to dozens of incidents and a borough officer suffered a broken hand.
Officials said many of those causing problems were not university students.
As they did last year, university officials are urging students to act responsibly and have planned alcohol-free events through the weekend, including a carnival, dance party, laser tag event and a movie screening, said spokeswoman Michelle Fryling.
“We are expecting good, responsible, safe behavior,” she said. “We're counting on the best, but we're preparing (based on) our experiences.”
IUP was not alone in its problems with St. Patrick's Day-related celebrations.
• Last year, thousands of unruly celebrants near the University of Massachusetts at Amherst attended the annual Blarney Blowout. More than 70 revelers were arrested and four police officers injured while trying to control the crowd.
• In 2013 and 2014, State College officials paid establishments near Penn State to stay closed after the annual State Patty's Day became unruly in 2012. The event was held once again this year with fewer incidents.
• Officials at the University of Illinois at Champaign have dealt with fallout from Unofficial St. Patrick's Day held in the town for many years, including arrests and property damage.
Indiana team in place
In response to a state Emergency Management Agency report issued after the 2014 problems, Indiana officials formed a team comprising people from various segments of the community to deal with future celebrations, including homecoming.
Some landlords have set limits on the number of guests permitted at their properties, said Dick Clawson, manager of the Sigma Chi fraternity house.
“We've told the students to watch how they party and to not have any uninvited guests there,” he said.
A security guard will be on duty at the fraternity house this weekend, Clawson said.
Some landlords have barricaded porches on their rental units and others have adjusted their leases to limit the number of people permitted on the properties, Vojtek said. “Their involvement has helped tremendously,” he said.
Clawson sent an email to other landlords this week to notify them of potential partying and asked them to remind their tenants to be responsible.“They can party inside if they want to,” he said.
Officers from Indiana, Homer City and Punxsutawney police departments, state troopers, county sheriff's deputies and a state police mounted unit will be patrolling the town this weekend, Vojtek said.
Last year, police had planned extra patrols during evening hours, but this year the patrols will start earlier, he said.
“We're a college town, we don't expect them to sit there and study,” he said.
Weather could play a role in the level of revelry, Vojtek said.
Last year was warmer than what is expected this year, he recalled.
The National Weather Service is predicting for Saturday to be sunny with a high of 49 degrees.
Renatta Signorini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-837-5374 or rsignorini@tribweb.com.
