Public Safety, Police nor Sheriff will discuss St. Paddy’s Day After-Action Report
Photo via barstoolflyers on Instagram
Olivia Gabel | Contributing Writer
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON – After days of warnings and a visible police buildup, the student St. Paddy’s Day street party ended without a single arrest by Dayton police, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office or UD Public Safety.
In a statement to Flyer News, the Dayton Police Department confirmed there were no arrests made and no force used during the March 28 event. This is a notable outcome for a gathering that, in the past, has drawn a large number of emergency responses and incidents of violence in the student neighborhood.
“There were no uses of force and no arrests made by the Dayton Police Department during the March 28 party,” the department said. “DPD coordinated with the University of Dayton ahead of the event.”
Earlier in the week of the event, university administration sent a campus wide email outlining expectations for student behavior and informing of a heightened law enforcement presence. The message indicated that multiple agencies would be monitoring the area and enforcing city ordinances, signaling a more structured response than in previous years. In addition to heightened enforcement, the university implemented regulations that included prohibiting guests, requiring students to move their cars from certain lots and streets in the student neighborhoods, and limiting the volume of liquid each student could bring into the restricted areas of the event.
That communication was issued after previous reporting by Flyer News highlighted the university’s concerns surrounding large street parties and the potential for unsafe conditions. In past years, similar gatherings have resulted in emergency medical responses, hospital transports, and the use of police force.
During tis year’s event, police officers were stationed throughout the south student neighborhood before crowds peaked, with cruisers lining nearby streets and police moving through Lowes Street on foot. That approach reflected a university-wide shift toward proactive planning, with law enforcement positioned in advance of peak crowd activity rather than responding after conditions escalated as in previous years.
This caused an initial negative student reaction, resulting in many hesitant questions and concerns at a Student Government Association meeting prior to the event. However, both university officials and police were confident in their decisions and decided to move forward with the increased surveillance.
Dayton police did not release additional details about staffing levels, specific enforcement actions such as citations, or the number of agencies involved beyond confirming the coordination with the university. The department also did not provide information about whether an after-action report has been completed or if one will be made publicly available, despite request.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, which has previously assisted in crowd control at large gatherings in the area, did not respond to requests for comment and directed questions to the Dayton Police Department.
As a result, a complete picture of law enforcement activity and presence for March 28 is not available.
Despite this, the absence of arrests and citations is a notable outcome for the event, particularly given the scale and level of concern expressed beforehand by both the university and local authorities.
Law enforcement agencies often rely on an after-action report, written to evaluate responses to large events, assessing what worked, what can be improved, and what needs to be removed.
Dayton police did not answer whether an action report was completed for the March 28 event, or if there will be one available to the public in the future.
Without this documentation, a full understanding of the event’s staffing, coordination between agencies, restricted areas, and any safety concerns observed remains unclear. The university has not released additional information following the event beyond its initial communication to students prior to the gathering.
The March 28 St. Paddy’s Day street party represents one of the first large outdoor gatherings of the spring semester, a period when warmer weather often brings increased student activity in off-campus neighborhoods.
Though in previous years this would spark confusion for university officials and police due to uncertainty of the future events’ outcome, March 28 suggests an emphasis on communication and visibility as primary tools for managing large crowds. Whether this approach will continue or be adjusted in future events remains an open question. Until then, the March 28 street party stands out as an event where anticipated enforcement did not result in arrests or force, despite significant preparation leading up to the night.