La Crosse Police respond to almost 600 calls over Labor Day weekend

The La Crosse Police Department had a busy Labor Day weekend as college students returned and people celebrated the last few days of summer.

The LCPD responded 592 calls from Sept. 2-6. Nineteen of those calls were bar checks at establishments downtown, which led to 27 alcohol-related citations, including 11 underage consumption tickets and six fake ID tickets.

There were also nine citations issued for being underage at a bar. These citations are often issued when an individual is in a bar but has not been drinking, or refuses to submit to a breathalyzer test, and therefore a consumption ticket can not be issued.

On top of that, there were 23 noise complaints, two public urination citations and three OWIs.

There were also two calls to break up fights, one public nudity call, and one assault.

According to LCPD Sergeant Brooke Pataska, there were significantly more calls over the weekend than a normal weekend during the summer. However, she said, fall typically brings in more calls than during the summer months.

Last year, Labor Day weekend brought in 550 calls for service — 17 of those alcohol related citations.

Meanwhile, in Madison on Sept. 1, police asked 143 people at one downtown bar to see if they were 21, and 137 of them were not and face a possible underage drinking citation.

Fines for those caught drinking between the ages of 17-20 result in a fine between $100-$200, while a second offense can be about double.