NEWS RELEASE

March 9, 2018

For Immediate Release

City, Police Emphasize Safety During St. Patrick’s Day

SAVANNAH, GA (March 9, 2018) — The City of Savannah and the Savannah Police Department held a news conference to emphasize public safety during this year’s festival and address the issues of underage drinking, over consumption and damage to city property.

The news conference took place in Chippewa Square, a location that had 13 underage drinking arrests in the last two years. The amount of littering and destruction of vegetation has also plagued Chippewa square among others, prompting the City to increase enforcement.http://scmpd.org/stpats/

Over 80 fake ID’s were confiscated during the festival last year. Savannah Police Sgt. Shinita Young said, “This is something we want to stress with the parents and the community before the festivities actually start. We are moving forward and we are serious about cutting down on underage drinking in the City of Savannah.”

Overconsumption during St. Patrick’s Day also played a large role in the amount of littering and destruction of vegetation in the squares. Last year, seven citations were given to staff members of establishments who over served patrons. Sgt. Dana Purvis said, “We want everyone to enjoy themselves but we want everyone to be considerate of others and the squares.”

The City will increase enforcement of over serving by staffing plain clothed officers in drinking establishments throughout the City.

The City’s Office of Special Events, Film and Tourism Administrator Eddie Grant said, “We want you to have a good time and we want you to leave nothing behind. Please do not leave trash in the square. We take great pride in our squares. It takes a lot of effort to keep them looking the way they do.”

This year the St. Patrick’s Day festival will begin on Friday March 16 at 10:00 a.m. and end Saturday March 17 at 11:59 p.m..

For more information on St. Patrick’s Day visit: http://www.savannahga.gov/stpats and