Law Board praises RCPD Fake Patty’s Day public messaging

With Fake Patty’s Day just around the corner, local leaders are pushing a message of safety and encouraging those who partake in the annual unofficial drinking holiday to be mindful of city code.

Over the past week, RCPD has put out a series of messages via social media reminding the public of city codes related to minor in possession, hosting minors, unlawful assembly and criminal trespass. At Tuesday’s monthly Law Board meeting, Mayor Wynn Butler noted many online had been misinterpreting the social media posts as a way for local officials to squash Fake Patty’s Day.

Aggieville Business Association Director Dennis Cook says the organization is open to efforts to shift Fake Patty’s Day behavior from the house party scene back to a more controlled environment within the bar district.

https://t.co/pEoUkEekzW pic.twitter.com/6KaYAOV1FH

— RCPD (@RileyCountyPD) February 19, 2024

Law Board member and Riley County Commission Chair John Ford agreed that is likely the best approach moving forward.

While some online were critical of RCPD’s social media posts, Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson was quick to defend them. He says one of the saddest comments he’s heard in recent months came from the mother of Joshua Wardi, a Fort Riley soldier murdered in Aggieville in February 2022 by a then 19-year-old Tremelle Montgomery, who had been drinking at an establishment that night.

Fake Patty’s Day is scheduled for March 2.