HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2025 Item 3b, Walker (2)
Colunga-Lopez, Andrea
From:kathie walker <
To:E-mail Council Website; Marx, Jan; Francis, Emily; Stewart, Erica A; Boswell, Mike
Cc:Brett Cross; Carolyn Smith; Stewjenkins Info; Steven Walker
Subject:St. Fratty's Day 3/15/2025
Attachments:Fwd_ St. Fratty's Day - Student Account.pdf; SLOPD calls on St Frattys 3.16.2024.pdf; st
frattys big larry at 330 a.m. uber.mp4; Comprehensive Plan to Cancel St Frattys Day
2025.pdf; Leaders and ER Doc Statements re Mardi Gras 2005.pdf
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond.
San Luis Obispo City Councilmembers,
The illegal drunken takeover of our neighborhood by thousands of people on the Saturday before Cal
Poly’s winter finals is unacceptable and needs to be prevented. It’s a dangerous public nuisance for
the people who live in our neighborhood and is going to end badly if the City doesn’t come up with a
plan that does not allow people this illegal gathering using a different approach. Cal Poly students are
replenished with a new class each fall, and they will continue to seek out “the tradition” unless the
City uses tools that have been successful in other communities to stop unruly gatherings, such as a
curfew.
In March 2024, the city manager, Derek Johnson, said that the event must be prevented after the St.
Fratty’s Day event on 3/16/2024, and the City Council directed that the event be prevented moving
forward. Derek said a resident task force would be formed but that never happened. Back then, the
trauma was fresh and the City was motivated, but it seems that motivation has fallen by the wayside
and the event is not going to be prevented in 2025.
In November 2024, several residents and property owners in the Alta Vista neighborhood formed a
task force to communicate with the City about ideas to stop the event because it has affected us
since it re-emerged in 2022. It’s notable that before 2022, the only other time St. Fratty’s Day
was an “unlawful assembly” in San Luis Obispo was in 2015 when 3,000 people converged into
our neighborhood and a roof collapsed at approximately 6:30 a.m., which ended the event that day. It
did not return until 2022.
On 12/11/2024, members of our task force met with SLOPD, Erica Stewart, and Whitney McDonald.
We had prepared a comprehensive plan to stop St. Fratty’s Day, which included setting a curfew, a
successful tool in Miami Beach for ending the destructive unlawful assemblies during Spring Break.
This suggestion was made by Cal Poly staff during an SCLC meeting on 10/17/2024.
During that SCLC meeting on 10/17/2024, it was made clear that Cal Poly is going to take care of Cal
Poly at its boundary, and that the City needs to take care of the City within the city limits. Cal Poly
representative Michelle Crawford told Deputy City Manager, Greg Hermann and SLOPD Chief Rick
Scott, that she recommended looking at what the city of Miami Beach did to stop Spring Break in
2024, with its “We’re breaking up with Spring Break” campaign. A key component of its successful
campaign was a curfew. Michelle Crawford commented that Miami Beach’s campaign “worked very
effectively.”
1
The resident task force generated a plan using ChatGPT to effectively prevent St. Fratty’s Day using
metrics from St. Fratty’s Day 2022, 2023, and 2024, and effective methods from other unlawful
assemblies across the country, not including protests. We provided the plan to SLOPD, Erica, and
Whitney, and I have attached it to this correspondence, along with the statements from city leaders
and an ER doctor that were published when Mardi Gras was canceled.
Unfortunately, it does not appear the City has chosen to implement a curfew and therefore, St.
Fratty’s Day is going to disrupt our neighborhood yet again, which is super disappointing.
I think it’s important to point out that since 2022, SLOPD Chief Scott has repeatedly said they are
going to have a “proactive” approach to St. Fratty’s Day, and that approach has failed every year. I
want to revisit the facts that are backed up by SLOPD dispatch logs and other documentation since
St. Fratty’s 2022.
St. Fratty’s Day 2022
In 2022, approximately 2,000 people overtook the intersection of Bond and Hathway, however, the
entire neighborhood was affected by screaming people, fireworks, trespassing, and vandalism from 4
a.m. to 10:00 a.m. In 2022, the Saturday before winter finals was on 3/12, five days before St.
Patrick’s Day.
There were many posts on social media the night before the event that indicated the event was going
to happen, but SLOPD did not anticipate the event. Fireworks woke our neighborhood at 4 a.m. There
were only a handful of officers in our neighborhood until shift change when more officers came on
duty.
Some noise citations were written, mostly to known illegal fraternity houses but many calls were not
responded to and there was a point where officers stood around the perimeter of the crowd because
it was too large. People were openly drinking alcohol, climbing telephone poles, standing on rooftops,
and law enforcement did not intervene. They waited until the unlawful assembly of drunken people
burnt itself out, six hours after it started. A spreadsheet of the calls to SLOPD dispatch was prepared
after St. Fratty's Day to show the timeline and was emailed to the City Council before St. Fratty's
2023:
2
During the debrief to the City Council, SLOPD Chief Scott minimized what happened during St.
Fratty’s 2022, and said they “went ahead and just secured the area and helped diffuse the rest of the
parties to go ahead and help them out of the neighborhoods” and that it only took “a couple of hours
to get the situation under control.” The event lasted for six hours and was not under control until 10
a.m.
Preparation for St. Fratty’s 2023
In the summer of 2022, I noticed that St. Fratty’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day were back-to-back on
Friday and Saturday. I knew that would cause a terrible situation and I wrote to SLOPD Chief Scott
and the City Council that summer, expressing my concern. I prepared calendars to illustrate the bad
situation.
3
The City did not take any action to implement a Safety Enhancement Zone (SEZ). On 2/21/2023,
before St. Fratty’s Day 2023, several concerned residents went to the City Council, explained our
concerns, and asked for the city to implement a SEZ, even on an emergency basis, citing the perfect-
storm scenario of back-to-back dates on the weekend.
The SLOPD Chief was in the audience, and he addressed Council, stating “I would like to say that we
do have a plan in place. Contrary to some of the comments, our plan does work.”
On 3/7/2023, SLOPD Chief Scott told the City Council “We’ll have available resources from other
agencies should that be required. … we’re going to be proactively focused on spot enforcement of
critical areas and also those areas where we’ve had historical challenges due to large gatherings and
unruly crowds.”
On 3/15/2023, SLOPD Chief Scott and Deputy Chief Fred Mickel met with RQN and explained that
they had “proactive” plans to address the event. They said they had adequate staff and plans to
circumvent any dangerous activity, and we should not be worried because they were on top of it.
St. Fratty’s 2023
On 3/18/2023, St. Fratty’s Day, crowds began to overtake the neighborhood at 4 a.m. SLOPD did not
anticipate the crowd would gather that early and was not prepared for the volume of people who
overtook the neighborhood. College-aged people were openly drinking alcohol, carrying BORGs
(Black Out Rage Gallons), and many, many people climbed utility poles without any intervention from
law enforcement.
SLOPD stood around the perimeter and did not engage with the crowd. I was standing near SLOPD
officers when we witnessed a guy climb out onto the utility line doing pull-ups. An officer said there
was nothing he could do and that he thought PG&E had turned off the power to the pole.
One of my neighbors called 911 because intoxicated guys trespassed onto his property and
threatened to fight him. He said the SLOPD dispatcher told him they could not help him due to his
proximity to the street party and hung up on him.
The unlawful gathering was allowed to continue until it fizzled out at around 10:30 a.m. SLOPD did
not shut down large fraternity parties or get people off rooftops. It’s my understanding that SLOPD
issued citations after the event based on drone footage, but an Administrative Hearing Officer
dismissed those citations so there were no consequences for the citations.
4
During a City Council meeting on 1/9/2024 for the Safety Enhancement Zone, Deputy Chief Mickel
admitted that SLOPD was not prepared for St. Fratty’s Day in 2023. A transcript from the meeting is
below:
Erica Stewart: “On page 405…it says the PD doesn’t do anything during the unruly gatherings
and so I thought you could share why the PD respond as they do during the large gatherings.”
Fred Mickel: “It really depends on manpower. … like for instance, this past St. Fratty’s Day,
we had a much larger – we planned for a large event, (but) this was three times larger
than we even thought. It really, unfortunately, caught us a little bit by surprise even
though we had a really good plan going into it. And so at that point, you just start managing
safety. And that’s our first thing, right? And there’s a lot of things going on, yes we could take
action against. And we tried to. We tried some creative approaches to doing some unruly
gathering, and we did do some unruly gathering citations during that event. But probably not as
many as we could have.
But we had to look at the bigger picture of, how do we not only keep the residents as safe as
we can, the officers, and all the people that were participating in the party. So, that’s really
what drove that.
Now if we had the manpower, the personnel, the things that we could do, then absolutely we’d
be enforcing the unruly gatherings and those types of things. We just have to weigh those out
at the time.”
After St. Fratty’s 2023
On 3/21/2023, SLOPD Chief Scott told the City Council that during St. Fratty’s 2023 there was “a
larger crowd, as expected, post-COVID” and that “SLOPD was upstaffed” to address the event. The
true events that day were downplayed or not discussed.
He said he planned to do an after-action analysis and talk with residents of our neighborhood but
none of the long-term residents in our neighborhood were contacted.
Mitigation Measures:
· On 1/9/2024, City Council adopted a SEZ for some weekends in March, including the
Saturday before Cal Poly’s winter finals, which is traditionally St. Fratty’s Day.
· PG&E removed the lower rungs from utility poles in the neighborhood.
St. Fratty’s 2024
Calls to SLOPD dispatch started at 3:20 a.m.; Illegal gathering in the street 5:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Streets were blocked and parties in the upper Alta Vista neighborhood, Albert Drive, until 10:30 a.m.
Medical calls/welfare checks (unconscious intoxicated people) until 12:20 p.m.
Noisy parties started in the neighborhood just after 3:00 a.m. Four illegal fraternity houses were cited
for noisy parties by 4:00 a.m. There was a constant stream of people screaming past our house and a
city utility truck placed unmanned barricades at intersections to stop vehicles from driving on the
streets just after 6:00 a.m., allowing parades of people to walk down the center of streets. I've
attached a PDF that shows the calls to SLOPD dispatch on 3/16/2024, St. Fratty's Day, including
complaints at local hotels about noisy people partying between 5:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m.
5
I've also attached a video posted on social media by an Uber driver who picked up a group of gals at
3:30 a.m. They were "going to Beta" (Beta Theta Pi fraternity) which held a party, as many fraternities
did that morning. Some property owners of illegal fraternity houses had received notification
from Code Enforcement before St. Fratty's Day, and it seems that message was passed along to the
fraternities because some did not host events that day. (I called the owner of 348 Hathway on
2/28/2024 and he promised me the fraternity would not have a party that morning.)
Still, 6,000-7,000 people showed up to block neighborhood streets. While it was difficult for them to
climb utility poles because the rungs were removed, people trespassed into yards and climbed on
parked cars and rooftops. Cars were scratched and windows smashed, fences were torn down,
landscapes and bushes were trampled, gutters were torn off houses, etc. Electric and cable lines
were pulled down from a house. The weight of people in a front yard caused a sewer line to collapse.
The damage to the Cal Poly dorms is often highlighted, but the total damage in the
neighborhood was in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Numerous people accessed an electrical line from a house to the utility pole and climbed across the
wire. One did pull-ups and fell. I heard that he broke his arm and was not identified until days later.
Based on dozens of videos posted online, there was no law enforcement anywhere nearby to remove
him or the hundreds of people on the rooftops for an extended period.
A tenant in a different house documented her terrifying experience, attached to this email. She and
her roommates called SLOPD four times because trespassers were on their rooftop and they feared
the roof would collapse on them. The SLOPD dispatcher hung up on them. When SLOPD finally
arrived, they did not help her to get the people off her roof. Part of her account is below:
“The police watched me struggling to clear the roof for over 30 minutes and still refused to take
action. I am a young woman who was ill-equipped to stand alone against the drunk and
aggressive mob-mentality that prevailed, and I was extremely scared and disheartened by the
lack of support we received. If we had received assistance the first time (or two) that we called
the police, they would have been able to clear the small crowd of people in our yard and on our
roof, before it became a serious and dangerous situation. I understand that large crowds are
difficult to control, but my housemates and I were put in danger due to the police’s lack of
action, and I urge you to implement safer strategies moving forward.”
The ”street party” ended at about 9:30 a.m. Streets were still blocked by college-aged people, and
many were obviously intoxicated and it was difficult to get through in a car. There were also rideshare
drivers everywhere, blocking the streets with hazard lights on. An unruly gathering was cited at Delta
Upsilon’s illegal fraternity house at 281 Albert Drive at 10:30 a.m.
6
Sirens continued as emergency calls for intoxicated people continued until after 12:00 p.m., including
an unconscious male on a 2-story rooftop at 146 Stenner and an unconscious male on a rooftop at
1861 Hope. Both are illegal fraternity houses for Kappa Sigma.
After St. Fratty’s 2024
During his debrief to the City Council on 3/19/2024, Chief Scott noted that there were no problems at
th
bars or downtown core on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. On St. Fratty’s Day, police presence was
tripled with assistance from Cal Poly, CSU CRU Team, California Men’s Colony, and California
Alcohol and Beverage Control. He said early enforcement led to citations and arrests but about two
hours later (just after 6 a.m.) the streets needed to be closed, as crowds swelled to 6,000 – 7,000
people.
He said he found the activities “extremely disappointing, dangerous and criminal. This is not in
keeping with Cal Poly’s reputation and certainly not that of our community. Looking ahead, these
lawless activities cannot and should not be allowed to occur in our communities.”
During the SCLC meeting on 4/18/2024, Chief Scott said, “the fact that we didn’t have any significant
injuries is, I think, by sheer luck. You saw what was going on inside the incident. We had over 30 calls
for service for EMS and nearly all of those were related to alcohol or consumption of alcohol. Any
one of those calls could turn fatal if we’re not able to get resources to those that need it. We really
can’t. And so the fact that we escaped without a significant injury is really not something to brag
about. It’s sheer luck that that happened.”
St. Fratty’s 2025
It is unknown what will happen in 2025.
7
Other than in 2015, the unlawful assembly/neighborhood takeover called "St. Fratty's Day" has only
happened in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Each of those three years, we were woken up before dawn, there
were people on rooftops, young people openly drinking alcohol, and damage to our neighborhood. It was
unacceptable in 2022, with 2,000 people. In 2023 and 2024, SLOPD has said there would be proactive
enforcement but the mayhem has been allowed to continue.
The City Council and SLOPD were warned of the impending doom in 2023 based on it falling on Friday
and Saturday unless some action was taken to prevent it and no action was taken. Messages
posted by Cal Poly students on social media in 2022 and 2023 said that SLOPD was "just keeping us
safe" and there was a permissive message that the event was okay. So it's no surprise that it happened
again in 2024.
It should not be allowed to happen again in 2025.
You have an opportunity to stop the event by implementing a curfew and not allowing people to
gather in the neighborhood. It is not “successful” if even 2,000 people show up for an unlawful
assembly in our neighborhood like they did for St. Fratty's in 2022. A plan is successful if you use all
the tools available to prevent the event from happening at all. Please do more this year, than just
hiring more law enforcement to cite people and stand by. Use the tools available to stop the event.
Sincerely,
Kathie Walker
8
Fwd: St. Fratty's Day - Student Account
From: (email redacted)
Date: November 22, 2024 at 2:59:24 PM PST
To: twatson@calpoly.edu
Subject: St. Fratty's Day - Student Account
Hi Tracy!
My name is (name redacted), and I am a previous tenant of 306 Hathway Avenue. I have been asked to detail
to you my concerns regarding “St. Fratty’s Day” celebrations, namely the unsanctioned block party that
typically occurs on Hathway Ave. I have attached a detailed timeline of the St. Fratty’s events from this past
year, that I wrote and shared with my landlord (name redacted) in April.
'As tenants and Cal Poly students, my housemates and I were aware that the block party would occur near our
house. We were concerned about possible damage to the house/yard, and facing fines from SLOPD due to
our proximity to the block party, and we communicated this with our landlord well in advance. She had
temporary orange fencing installed that circled the yard, and we locked all the doors and windows in
preparation. What we did not expect was that partygoers tore down the orange fencing, and began climbing on
top of our roof. My roommates and I were inside the house when we heard stomping on the roof, and when I
attempted to get people down, I was met with aggression by some men who had used our outdoor furniture
and gutters to climb up. We brought the furniture inside, barricaded the door, and had already called the police
for help.
As the crowd on the roof grew, we became increasingly scared of it collapsing. Our gutters were torn down,
our wooden fence was ripped apart, and people attempted to kick down one of the side doors to enter our
house. It’s hard to convey the amount of panic we felt inside the house, as we were effectively trapped under a
roof that had over 100 people on it and could collapse on us at any moment. We repeatedly called the police
for help, and were ignored or hung up on. Eventually, police came into the yard and I went outside to get their
assistance clearing the roof. Instead, they accused me of throwing the “entire party” and knowing everyone on
the roof (I clarified that they were all strangers, and no party had been held. The police confirmed that they
saw no one inside). When I asked for their help getting people off the roof, as I was afraid of it collapsing, they
said that I would have to handle it myself, and instead issued me a ticket. In the end, I had to physically pull
people down as they tried to scale the sides of the house, and eventually brought a ladder to get everyone off
the roof.
The police watched me struggling to clear the roof for over 30 minutes, and still refused to take action. I am a
young woman who was ill-equipped to stand alone against the drunk and aggressive mob-mentality that
prevailed, and I was extremely scared and disheartened by the lack of support we received. If we had received
assistance the first time (or two) that we called the police, they would have been able to clear the small crowd
of people in our yard and on our roof, before it became a serious and dangerous situation. I understand that
large crowds are difficult to control, but my housemates and I were put in danger due to the police’s lack of
action, and I urge you to implement safer strategies moving forward.'
If any further action is taken or information provided by me is used, please refrain from sharing my name.
Thank you for your time!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c193ab931d&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1816469536304155060&simpl=msg-f:1816469536304155060 2/2
1 - 03:24 a.m. 1264 Foothill, (Lambda Chi Alpha)
2 - 03:33 a.m. 1251 Monte Vista, (Lambda Chi Alpha)
3 - 03:51 a.m. 1275 Stafford, (Phi Kappa Psi)
4 – 04:03 a.m. 325 Kentucky
5 – 04:05 a.m. 248 Grand, (Sigma Nu – now Theta Chi)
6 – 04:10 a.m. 1185 Foothill #19
7 – 04:12 a.m. 322 Hathway, (Kappa Sigma)
3
9
10,69
8,
11
12
25 – 05:46 a.m. Bond & Kentucky, Alcohol Offense
26 – 05:50 a.m. Bond & Hathway, Alcohol Offense
27 – 05:54 a.m. 306 Hathway, Disorderly
28 – 05:54 a.m. 1200 Block Bond, Alcohol Offense
29 – 05:55 a.m. Kentucky & Bond, Suspicious
30 – 05:56 a.m. Hathway & California, Alcohol Offense
31 – 05:57 a.m. Ramona & Tassajara; off map
32 – 06:03 a.m. 1116 Peach; off map
33 – 06:07 a.m. 1600 McCollum, 10 males fighting
34 – 06:11 a.m. 1825 Monterey, University Inn; off map
35 – 06:26 a.m. 123 Crandall, (Sigma Nu)
36 – 06:31 a.m. Hathway & Carpenter
37 – 06:31 a.m. 531 Hathway; off map
38 – 06:34 a.m. 1128 Peach; off map
39 – 06:47 a.m. 376 Graves
40 – 06:50 a.m. Kentucky & Bond, Alcohol Offense
41 – 06:54 a.m. Kentucky & Bond, Alcohol Offense
19 47, 65
5
20
23
24,75
26,50
53,58
30, 45,
46,47,
64
3328
35
36,42
47,49
42 – 06:56 a.m. Hathway & Carpenter, Alcohol Offense
43 – 06:57 a.m. 1355 Bond, Alcohol Offense
44 – 07:04 a.m. 1355 Bond, Alcohol Offense
45 – 07:05 a.m. California & Hathway, Alcohol Offense
46 – 07:06 a.m. California & Hathway, Alcohol Offense
47 – 07:08 a.m. Carpenter & Hathway, Alcohol Offense
48 – 07:11 a.m. 300 Blk Hathway, Criminal Mischief, Alc
49 - 07:17 a.m. Hathway & Carpenter, Alcohol Offense
50 – 07:21 a.m. Hathway & Bond, Vandalism Vehicle
51 – 07:26 a.m. 290 California, Alcohol Offense
52 – 07:28 a.m. 306 Hathway, Disorderly
53 – 07:29 a.m. Hathway & Bond, Criminal Mischief, Disorde
54 – 07:29 a.m. 306 Hathway, Disorderly
55 - 07:46 a.m. 1214 Bond, Disorderly
56 – 07:48 a.m. Slack & Longview, Alcohol Offense
57 – 07:49 a.m. Kentucky & Fredericks, Alcohol Offense
58 – 07:53 a.m. Hathway & Bond, Disorderly
59 – 07:55 a.m. 290 California, Alcohol Offense
60 – 07:56 a.m. 1214 Bond, Disorderly
61 – 08:10 a.m. 301 Hathway (Sigma Nu)
62 – 08:13 a.m. 1216 Bond, Disorderly
63 – 08:20 a.m. 306 Hathway, Intoxicated Person
64 – 08:24 a.m. California & Hathway, Obstruct Justice
65 – 08:29 a.m. 322 Hathway, Loitering/Trespass
66 – 08:53 a.m. 440 Kentucky, Disorderly
67 – 08:58 a.m. 331 Hathway (Alpha Epsilon Pi)
68 – 08:58 a.m. 269 Hathway, Alcohol Offense
69 – 09:04 a.m. Longview & Bond, Resist, Interfere w/Police
70 – 09:41 a.m. 357 Graves, Male passed out on sidewalk
71 – 09:42 a.m. 281 Hathway, (Kappa Sigma)
72 – 09:49 a.m. 269 Hathway, Alcohol Offense
73 – 09:50 a.m. 101 Graves, Loitering/Trespassing
74 – 09:52 a.m. 2065 Sierra; off map Welfare Check, Intoxica
75 – 09:59 a.m. 208 Hathway, (Alpha Epsilon Pi)
76 – 10:04 a.m. 138 Orange (Pi Kappa Alpha, disaffiliated)
77 – 10:00 a.m. French Hosp, Intox female took out IV & left
78 – 10:05 a.m. Longview & Albert, Alcohol Offense
79 – 10:08 a.m. Longview & Albert, Alcohol Offense
80 – 10:09 a.m. 116 Mustang, Collision/DUI
81 – 10:17 a.m. 281 Albert, (Delta Upsilon) Party 300 people
82 – 10:47 a.m. 59 S. Tassajara; off map
83 – 11:26 a.m. Kentucky & Fredericks, Alcohol Offense
84 – 11:45 a.m. 146 Stenner (Kappa Sigma) Medical uncons
85 – 12:03 p.m. 109 Mustang; off map Welfare Check
86 – 12:24 p.m. 1861 Hope, (Kappa Signa) Welfare unconsci
39
43,44
25,29
40,41
48
51,59
27,52
54,63
56
57,83
60,62
61
8 – 04:15 a.m. 1267 Fredericks (sorority)
9 – 04:32 a.m. 1453 Slack, Alcohol Offense
10- 04:43 a.m. Longview & Bond, Alcohol Offense
11- 04:44 a.m. 1267 Fredericks (sorority)
12- 04:45 a.m. 1840 Hope
13- 04:50 a.m. Ramona & La Entrada; off map
14- 04:54 a.m. 241 Foothill; off map
15- 05:05 a.m. Tassajara & Foothill, Alcohol Offense; off map
16 – 05:16 a.m. 410 N. Chorro; off map
17 – 05:21 a.m. 457 Pismo; off map
18 – 05:25 a.m. 303 Foothill; off map
19 – 05:26 a.m. 364 Hathway
20 – 05:27 a.m. 296 Albert
21 – 05:28 a.m. 210 Madonna, Vagabond Inn; off map
22 – 05:29 a.m. 200 Santa Rosa; off map
23 – 05:33 a.m. Hathway & Murray
24 – 05:37 a.m. 208 Hathway (Alpha Epsilon Pi)
Charles Teach Elementary
&
SLO Classical Academy
Cal Poly
campus
Calls to SLOPD
related to
St. Fratty’s Day
03/16/2024
(Noisy parties,
etc.)
3:24 a.m. – 12:24 p.m.
70
66
67
68,72
71
73
76
78,79
81
84
86
Comprehensive Plan to Cancel St. Fratty’s Day 2025
To cancel and prevent the unlawful assembly known as St. Fratty's Day in 2025, San Luis Obispo must adopt a
multi-layered strategy combining enforcement, preventative measures, public communication, and inter-agency
collaboration. Below is a step-by-step guide:
1. Declare the Event as Unlawful in Advance
• Public Declaration:
o Officially designate that St. Fratty's Day was an unlawful assembly under California Penal Code
§407 in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
o Issue a resolution by the City Council declaring the event illegal and emphasizing the risks of
participation (e.g., injury, arrest, property damage).
• Proactive Ordinances:
o Pass temporary measures for March 14–16, 2025, including:
A ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people in designated neighborhoods.
Prohibition of rooftop access during the weekend.
Strict noise restrictions and alcohol bans in public spaces.
2. Establish a Curfew
By integrating a curfew into the broader prevention plan, San Luis Obispo can take proactive steps to cancel St.
Fratty’s Day in 2025 and prioritize the safety of its community.
• Details of the Curfew:
o Curfew Hours: Midnight to 8:00 AM from March 14 to March 16, 2025.
o Affected Area: Apply the curfew to neighborhoods historically impacted by the event.
• Enforcement Plan:
o Use high-visibility checkpoints at key access points to enforce the curfew.
o Deploy foot patrols in residential areas to ensure compliance.
o Arrest violators and issue citations for curfew breaches, emphasizing deterrence.
• Legal Framework:
o Issue the curfew under the city’s emergency powers and its authority under California
Government Code §8634, citing public safety concerns.
• Rationale for a Curfew
o Miami Beach successfully used curfews to control spring break crowds and prevent dangerous
behavior, resulting in fewer incidents and improved public safety.
o A curfew establishes clear boundaries and reduces the likelihood of large gatherings forming,
while also enabling law enforcement to act decisively against violators and fostering the
protection of life and property.
3. Launch a Public Awareness Campaign
• Campaign Goals:
o Discourage attendance and participation in St. Fratty’s Day.
o Educate the public on the risks and legal consequences of the event.
• Messaging: Launch a city-wide campaign with clear messaging to deter participation. This approach was
effective during the 2005 Mardi Gras, where similar messaging was used to discourage large gatherings.
o Slogans like "The Party is Over: St. Fratty’s Day 2025" or "Stay Safe, Stay Home."
o Use social media, electronic billboards, and local media outlets to reach students and the broader
community.
o Collaborate with Cal Poly and Cuesta College to send emails and alerts to students emphasizing
the event’s dangers and illegality.
(See Attachment of statements issued by the Mayor, Cal Poly and Cuesta College Presidents, and Sierra
Vista ER doctor in January 2005 regarding the cancellation of Mardi Gras.)
• Media Outreach: Utilize local media, social media platforms, and community events to disseminate
information about the risks and legal consequences associated with participating in unauthorized
gatherings.
4. Strengthen Law Enforcement Resources
• Resource Allocation:
o Request mutual aid from neighboring agencies, including CHP and Sheriff’s department.
o Deploy officers at key areas for proactive prevention.
o Prioritize SLOPD presence in affected neighborhoods while Cal Poly Police manage on-campus
enforcement.
• Crowd Management:
o Equip law enforcement with tools for early dispersal, such as loudspeakers, barricades, and
mounted patrols. (SLO does not have mounted patrols so perhaps foot and bike patrol.)
o Adopt a clear plan to declare an unlawful assembly and disperse crowds at the first sign of
gathering in the street.
• Zero-Tolerance Policy:
o Intervene early to prevent people from converging.
o Enforce citations for noise violations, public intoxication, trespassing, and vandalism.
5. Restrict Access to Neighborhoods
• Temporary Street Closures:
o Restrict vehicle and pedestrian access to impacted areas during the event timeframe.
o Issue permits or enact policies for residents and essential personnel to ensure legitimate access.
• Barricades:
o Place physical barriers at key intersections to prevent crowds from forming.
• Parking Restrictions:
o Impose temporary no-parking zones in affected neighborhoods.
6. Provide Clear Consequences
• Legal Penalties:
o Highlight fines for curfew violations, trespassing, and public intoxication (e.g., $1,000+ for major
infractions).
o Announce that arrests and criminal charges will be reported to the university, potentially
impacting academic standing.
Dear Friends,
I have lived and worked in San Luis Obispo for the majority of my life, and I love this town. Our people –
including our college students – are creative and spirited, and special events have been a big part of our
community life. The annual Mardi Gras celebration was one such event, growing over the years from a tiny one
block celebration into a huge parade. Unfortunately, something else grew along with the parade: Hoards of out-
of control and destructive partiers, many from outside the community, who drink excessively and cause major
problems. In 2004, this destructive and violent behavior resulted in a riot, which cost our taxpayers almost a half
million dollars.
This is not what San Luis Obispo is about, and as much as we like special events, our City Council concluded that
Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo must stop – completely. And we have backed up our commitment with the
resources necessary to create huge consequences for those who choose to disrespect our town.
As your Mayor, I ask that those of you who live in San Luis Obispo help us protect our community from such
destructive behavior. Please don’t invite out-of-town guests to San Luis Obispo to party over Mardi Gras
weekend (February 4 – 8, 2005). Encourage your friends who live here to enjoy the weekend in a safe and
helpful way.
If you don’t live in San Luis Obispo, please don’t visit us for Mardi Gras. MARDI GRAS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO IS
OVER.
Dave Romero
Mayor
Dear Cal Poly Student:
Welcome back to Cal Poly. I hope you enjoyed your holidays and have returned to campus refreshed and eager
to start winter quarter.
This month you have probably been hearing about the City of San Luis Obispo's intention to bring an end to
public celebrations of Mardi Gras. Cal Poly supports the City's plans for strongly discouraging such celebrations
and maintaining the peace this year.
For more information on these plans, please take a look at www.MardiGrasSLO.com.
It is broadly recognized that Cal Poly students are good citizens and contribute much to the community. And all
but a small number of Cal Poly students avoided involvement in the serious disturbances in the community
associated with last year's Mardi Gras celebrations. We wish to commend you for that.
I urge you to heed the City's call for cessation of public Mardi Gras celebrations in the streets of San Luis Obispo
and to encourage others to join with you in continuing the Cal Poly traditions of civility and respect for the law.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Warren J. Baker
President
January 24, 2005
Cuesta College Students
RE: Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo
Dear Students,
We are pleased to welcome new and returning Cuesta College students to the Spring 2005 semester. For many of
you it will be your first time living away from home and your first time experiencing the excitement, fulfillment,
and increased sense of responsibility that the college environment fosters.
At the same time that you are experiencing wonderful opportunities for personal growth and increased
knowledge, you are also encountering more opportunities to socialize. As you might be aware, Mardi Gras
weekend is a particularly social period in San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo has
evolved into an out-of-control party scene that culminated last year in a large-scale, violent riot, which involved a
few Cuesta and Cal Poly students as well as out-of-area visitors.
Because of those issues, the City of San Luis Obispo is working in conjunction with Cuesta College and Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo University to communicate new plans to discourage public Mardi Gras celebrations. These
efforts are made in the interest of maintaining peace throughout the city during the Mardi Gras weekend
beginning February 4. Higher fines, an increased police presence on the streets of San Luis Obispo, and a more
stringent prosecution of offenders are just a few of the ramifications you could face this year if you choose to
attend or host Mardi Gras parties.
It is always important for you to make safe and responsible decisions, on campus and off. As a Cuesta College
student, please join us in reinforcing the need to comply with the City’s call to discontinue public Mardi Gras
celebrations in the streets of San Luis Obispo. I urge you to avoid participating in any disorderly public Mardi Gras
parties and to discourage out-of-area friends from visiting during that weekend.
Please do not drink and drive. Thank you for your support and consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Marie E. Rosenwasser, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
Dr. Steve Sainsbury, Emergency Room Doctor – Sierra Vista Hospital
Many of you probably view Mardi Gras as a time of celebration.
I view Mardi Gras as a night where my Emergency Department is overwhelmed with drunken brawlers, whose
bleeding and scarred faces are devoid of fun or frolic. I view Mardi Gras as a succession of somber women who
face the day-after consequences of unwanted or unremembered sexual activity, complete with very real worries
about pregnancy, HIV and STDs. I view Mardi Gras as a time when any behavior is deemed acceptable – even if it
risks the health and welfare of both police and public – all in the name of “fun”.
As a career emergency physician, I dread Mardi Gras like no other event.
Dr. Steve Sainsbury