Kent Police made 15 arrests on Fake Patty’s Day, which took place March 9, where disorderly conduct while intoxicated and prohibitions both made up the majority of charges. 

On Fake Patty’s Day, there were eight disorderly conduct charges for intoxication and seven for prohibitions. Only one open container charge was made. 

Other charges were mostly related to property damage and illegal driving activity. 

University police made no arrests on Fake Patty’s Day. 

Sergeant Tricia Knoles from the Kent State Police said the number of arrests has gone down in the past several years. The decline started before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. 

Knoles said the university police held several presentations since last year that talked about alcohol awareness, consumption and how to stay safe during events such as Fake Patty’s Day, which may have contributed to the absence of arrests in their department this year. 

“My hope is that it is the education aspect as well that had something to do with the student’s understanding, maybe, how much is too much for them to consume or just how to be safe in general,” Knoles said. 

The Kent Police sergeant working that day noted the change in overall behavior in downtown Kent, Knoles said. 

“All heavy foot traffic, but our students appeared to be making safe choices,” Knoles said. “They did not respond to any medical emergencies on campus as a result of excess alcohol consumption, which is definitely better than past years as well.”

Kayla Gleason is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].

Erin Sullivan is a TV2 reporter. Contact her at [email protected].