St. Patrick’s festivities draw big crowd and few arrests this year

St. Patrick’s Day festivities brought about 44,000 people to Five Points on Saturday.

Festival organizers plan for about 40,000 people each year, so 2016 exceeded expectations, said Amy Beth Franks, co-chair of St. Pat’s in Five Points.

Franks credited the Columbia Police Department for helping the festival go smoothly.

“We are very happy with how it went,” she said. “We love working with CPD and having their support. We could not put on a festival of this size without CPD.”

The police department arrested 28 people during festivities, according to a news release. The State Law Enforcement Division arrested 12 people, and the University of South Carolina Police Department arrested three.

There were no drunken driving arrests stemming from the festival, police department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said. The department’s traffic safety unit made four DUI arrests throughout the city from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.