2008 Woodie Awards
Homecoming security increases
By Valerie Waltz
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: News
|
However, along with rekindling the bonds between students and college life, many students celebrate homecoming by kicking back a few beers, hitting up some house parties, and basically re-enacting Animal House.
The students who opted to party hard this past weekend had one big problem standing in their way: the police.
Slippery Rock University Campus Police Chief Robert J. Christy said to ensure the safety of students and the townspeople of Slippery Rock on this past Homecoming weekend, the police increased its patrols significantly.
Christy was unable to release the specific numbers of patrolling officers.
With the police on the prowl for any criminal mischief, a few students chose to stay in for the weekend. Although there were the students who didn't want to chance partying for a significant fine, there were many students who decided otherwise.
Sophomore human resource major Phil Horrell, said he was one of the students who decided to party over the weekend. The increase in police did not deter him, he said.
"I saw a few cops here and there driving around, but that was it," Horrell said.
In lieu of the increased patrols, Horrell said whenever he went out to parties this past weekend, it made him nervous to an extent, but he never really is concerned about the police.
"The amount of police out there was more hearsay or common sense," Horrell said. "Of course they're going to lock the town down during Homecoming. I think having more officers is good to prevent trouble or fighting, but they should just let kids have a good time."
Besides increasing the police officers on the streets of Slippery Rock, Christy said patrols were increased for the events on campus such as the Friday night concert, the Saturday morning parade, and the Homecoming football game.
"We had officers out to control traffic and to close roads," Christy said. "We posted many officers throughout the Borough as well."
Christy said he accounted the amplified drinking violations to an increased number of people on campus and in the town.
In 2002 there were nine underage drinking violations issued as opposed to the four issued in 2004. In 2003, there were seven underage consumption violations. There were three DUI's issued during the 2002 homecoming and only one issued during the 2004 homecoming.
This year the total number of alcohol related citations for Homecoming weekend jumped to 12.
