INDIANAPOLIS -- There were no shortage of revelers downtown Thursday to mark the start of March Madness and celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Some people were doing both.
"Gotta represent the Hoosiers baby, gonna beat Chattanooga and I got the kilt for St. Patrick's Day, can't forget the balls," Chase Moser said.
And with more people out and about, police will have an increased presence on the road.
"We want people to go out and enjoy themselves, but if that enjoyment involves drinking alcohol, then have a plan for how you're going to get home. If you're drinking with your lunch or dinner and you have to ask yourself if you should drive or not, then the answer's probably no," Sgt. John Perrine with the Indiana State Police said.
Because Sgt. Perrine and other officers and deputies statewide will be watching, hopeful everyone follows the rules. Because just like everyone else, they've been looking forward to St. Patrick's Day and the start of the tournament, too.
"Just by chance I've got Purdue in the Final Four but I've got Kansas winning the entire thing," Perrine said.
Police sill have checkpoints set up across Central Indiana until midnight. IMPD and police in Speedway, Cumberland, Lawrence and Beech Grove are also involved. The increased effort is part of a year-long, statewide project aimed at reducing alcohol-related crashes.
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