Bartlesville Police Offer Free Rides To Those Drinking On Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday popularly celebrated with beer and Irish whiskey.

Statistics show the average person will consume a little over four drinks during their holiday celebrations, making it one of the biggest drinking days of the year. Unfortunately, that also means more drunk drivers on the roads.

To minimize that, the Bartlesville Police Department is having its St. Patrick's Day Arrive Safe event Friday night.

Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles started the event when he joined the department in 2018. He and his officers will provide safe transportation from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on St. Patrick's Day to anyone who has been drinking.

"Every year we have multiple people that are injured or killed in auto accidents around St. Patrick's Day or on St. Patrick's Day and we just want to try to have a solution to that so that is reduced," said Deputy Chief Kevin Ickleberry.

Bartlesville residents can call the non-emergency dispatch line at 918-338-4001 and tell the dispatcher they would like to take the chief up on his offer to arrive safe, then give their location.

Ickleberry said last year the department gave 10 people a ride home. He said there is no judgement involved, it is all about keeping the community safe.

"Sometimes people are afraid to call a friend for a ride home or a family member for a ride home because they do not like the way it looks or the way people may think of them," Ickleberry continued saying, "We want them to understand that this is no judgment and we want to make sure that they make it home without anybody getting hurt and for us that is the most important part."

The service is free, but the location must be within Bartlesville city limits.