Last year, 180 citations and 31 arrests were handed down on a variety of charges on St. Patrick’s Day between 7 a.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday in East Lansing city limits alone, according to previous State News reports.

Mitchell said he anticipates activity and numbers of arrests and citations likely will be around the level of a typical football Saturday and could be slightly higher than normal St. Patrick’s Day traffic.

“The warm weather overrides both the holiday and the basketball game, I think — it’s been a long winter, I’m sure students are excited to see the sun,” Mitchell said.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the MSU Police Department also will be calling in additional police units throughout the weekend, although she said more activity likely will occur off campus.

“We have been working with the city of East Lansing’s Police Department and will be there if they need any assistance,” McGlothian-Taylor said. “We would hope students will celebrate responsibly.”

Communication sophomore Jessica Melton said she plans to enjoy the warm weather and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to the fullest and likely will be outdoors for the majority of the day.

Although Melton is aware there will be a higher police presence, she remains unconcerned.

“It’s not Welcome Weekend or anything, but there will probably be more cops out than usual,” Melton said. “As long as people don’t go crazy, it won’t be a big deal.”

Both Mitchell and McGlothian-Taylor said students should remember to stay safe and be responsible during the weekend festivities. McGlothian-Taylor added if students notice any suspicious activity as the weekend commences, they should contact law enforcement so potentially dangerous situations can be dealt with.