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State excise police cite 188 at IMS

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WANE) – Indiana State Excise Police cited 188 people for various offenses at Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the weekend.

According to the department, 139 summonses were issued for illegal possession or consumption of alcohol. Of the arrests or citations, 130 were issued to minors, 38 to adults, 20 to juveniles. It total, 263 charges were written up during patrols during the course of events surrounding the Indianapolis 500.

Indiana State Excise Superintendent Matt Strittmatter issued the following statement at the conclusion of Sunday’s race:

“The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 is a milestone for Indiana and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Like in years past, the 500 mile race draws a crowd of people from all across the country, and it is a time for the patrons to enjoy the party atmosphere. Additionally, it is a time when a significant amount of alcohol is consumed over the three day celebration. Indiana State Excise officers are responsible for public safety. We focus our efforts to ensure that the over-consumption of alcohol does not cause serious problems and specifically work to ensure that underage persons do not have access to alcohol. As always, the men and women of the department carried out their duties with the utmost professionalism. This is challenging when the over-consumption of alcohol can, at times, bring out the worst behavior in people.”

Total citations for 2016 were up slightly compared to last year. In 2015, 176 people were issued various citations. However, the 100th running of the race in 2016 saw much bigger crowds – close to 350,000.