Local bars, law enforcement urge safety over the weekend
By Jenna Wilson
Many in the community are gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day weekend and looking forward to celebrating at local bars, but all of that shouldn’t come without keeping safety in mind.
“This is a great weekend to have fun and we expect and hope everyone has a great time,” said Sgt. James Tonn with the St. Joseph Police Department. “But make a plan to make it home safe. Drinking and driving is obviously illegal, but that doesn’t keep people from doing it and we do not want to see someone lose a life this weekend.”
Along with the St. Patrick’s Day parade comes the St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl, where patrons will be enjoying refreshments all day long at local bars. Chris Kelly, employee at Kelly’s Pub in St. Joseph, said they have to ensure patrons are being safe in the bar every weekend and this weekend will be no different.
“It’s what we always do,” Kelly said. “You just have to pay attention to people, make sure people aren’t over served and catch things before they go wrong. Safety is our priority, but we’re also going to make sure everyone’s enjoying themselves and having a fun time.”
Local bar owners and law enforcement say it’s important to plan ahead and arrange for a designated driver if you plan on having more than one drink this weekend.
“The City of Saint Joseph offers several types of public transportation, whether that be through Uber, Lyft, the city buses or taxis,” said Sgt. Shane Hux with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “If you’re out in the rural area, it’s going to take more planning on your part. Have a person designated before you go out and make sure the designated driver doesn’t partake in any activities involving substance use. We see that from time to time where the designated driver is impaired while operating a motor vehicle and we don’t want any type of tragedy to happen during any celebration.”
The St. Joseph Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol will have extra staff on hand this weekend to ensure patrons are driving safely and not putting the lives of others at risk over the weekend.
“We know that these types of celebrations bring out more people during the evening and what they are partaking in,” Hux said. “We will be out in force and all troopers will be available to be out during those celebrations. Our priority is safety and to make sure people do get to and from their destination safely.”
