SLO, Cal Poly say they are prepared for another ‘St. Fratty’s Day’

Since last March, San Luis Obispo city officials and Cal Poly administrators have prepared strategies to avoid another “St. Fratty’s Day” fiasco, in which eight people were injured when a garage rooftop collapsed after thousands of mostly student revelers descended upon neighborhoods surrounding the university.

This year, officials say, the party’s over.

In the early-morning hours of March 7, 2015, about 3,000 people decked out in green arrived in the neighborhoods around the campus to celebrate the annual festivities, which in recent years took place outside of the traditional St. Patrick’s Day weekend to avoid the city’s Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance, which doubles municipal fines for low-level crimes such as public alcohol consumption on popular party weekends.

Both San Luis Obispo police and Cal Poly said the party caught them unprepared as word of the event spread through social media that officials were not monitoring, even though university administrators were warned nearly a week prior by Greek leaders seeking to wash their hands of the event.

This year, Cal Poly’s Office of Student Affairs and the Associated Students Inc. have conducted outreach to students to encourage responsible celebrations that won’t affect the well-being of the community.

“The university and its police force are working closely with San Luis Obispo police and city officials to promote student safety at all times and to help enforce the law in areas near campus,” university spokesman Matt Lazier wrote in an email to The Tribune. “This cooperation and teamwork is particularly important during times when partying is known to traditionally take place, such as around St. Patrick’s Day.”

University police and administration are now also up to speed on social media, monitoring popular websites for word of planned festivities.

San Luis Obispo police Capt. Keith Storton said Thursday that in addition to working with Cal Poly, his officers have been making face-to-face contacts with students living in party hotspots around campus to warn against rowdy behavior and inform them of consequences.

Because officials have not heard of a specific event this year, both city and university police will be adding extra patrols throughout the month. City police will have extra help this year after the San Luis Obispo City Council voted in July to approve a memorandum of understanding between the two departments to allow university officers to issue citations within a 1-mile radius of the Cal Poly campus.

“We’ll have officers on patrol in cars, on bikes and on foot,” Storton said.

In addition, the Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance will be in effect citywide during the traditional St. Patrick’s Day weekend beginning March 17. Fines will be doubled up to $1,000 for public intoxication, public urination, noise violations, unruly gatherings and open alcohol containers.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 3:06 PM with the headline "SLO, Cal Poly say they are prepared for another ‘St. Fratty’s Day’."