AMHERST — University of Massachusetts and Amherst officials are laying the groundwork to prevent large scale riots and excessive drinking in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, hoping the measures will continue a two-year run of peaceful Saturdays before spring break.
As part of this effort, the Student Government Association is helping to sponsor a free concert that will begin at noon on March 4 at the Mullins Center. The concert will feature Mike Posner, a hip hop and pop singer-songwriter, and two other entertainers who will be revealed later this week, the university announced Wednesday.
The concert is a centerpiece of activities to put an end to the Blarney Blowout, which began as a bar-sponsored event in downtown, with college-age people lined up outside the downtown bars early in the morning, many of whom were already intoxicated.
Blarney reached a climax in 2014, with revelers moving to North Amherst and areas north of the UMass campus after Amherst Police clamped down on the downtown activity. This led to police wearing riot gear making 55 arrests and using pepper balls to bring crowds under control.
The last two years, however, have been far different after the town and UMass implemented recommendations from a report completed by former Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. Those changes reduced arrests to just 13 combined in 2015 and 2016.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said many of the same measures are expected to be taken this year, including Amherst Police requesting assistance from area departments and Massachusetts State Police to ensure there is sufficient presence to deter any out-of-control behavior.
UMass is again adjusting its guest policies, as it has done during other high-profile events, like the recent Super Bowl. Beginning at 8 p.m. March 2, and running through 11 p.m. March 5, on-campus students can sign up to four fellow UMass students as guests, but all non-UMass students will not be admitted. Residence hall security desk hours will be expanded on those dates.
Parking restrictions will begin at 5 p.m. March 4 and continue through 5 p.m. March 5, with all campus parking lots being considered 24-hour restricted lots.
Vehicles parking on campus without a valid UMass Amherst parking permit are subject to ticketing and towing. Events scheduled on campus will have dedicated parking for visitors.
Amherst Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson said he appreciates that protocols on campus will be identical to last year.
Even so, his personnel will be prepared. “We will staff up during the day like it’s a weekend night,” Nelson said.