| Updated: 3/18 10:13 am |
Published: 3/16 10:31 pm
|
The Tulsa Police Department teamed up with the Oklahoma's Alcohol and Beverages Law Enforcement agents to crack down on bars serving to intoxicated patrons and underage drinkers during the downtown pre-Saint Patrick's Day block party on Saturday night.
The police expect more than 10,000 people to come through downtown this weekend plus the fans from the Conference USA Basketball Championship games at the BOK Center.
Last year, without Conference USA in town, 30,000 people celebrated downtown.
“The overflow of people will make it more of a challenge for us but we have teamed up with ABLE agents and bars and restaurants have hired their own security to look for anyone who could cause harm,” said Tulsa Police Traffic Officer Craig Murray.
Officer Murray worked security at the BOK Center on Saturday for the basketball fans.
“There were thousands there from Memphis today (Saturday), so they might stay overnight and use Tulsa’s hospitality for their Saint Patrick’s Day celebration.”
McNellie’s Pub’s director of operations Travis Taylor said he knows his servers will have to be responsible with who they are serving and how much they are serving them.
“Our servers are ready to handle the crowds,” said Taylor. “They are expecting a packed house and so am I.”
He expects Sunday, the real day Saint Patrick is celebrated on to be even busier downtown.
In 2012 TPD arrested 17 people for drunk driving. They were doing saturation then because Saint Patrick’s Day fell on a Saturday night.
