The Bloomington Police Department will participate in “Sex, Drugs and Rock’n Roll,” a Welcome Week activity designed to educate new and returning students on the dangers of unprotected sex, alcohol and other issues.
Police officers in the past have provided students with fatal vision goggles, which imitate the effects of alcohol. Students were allowed to drive golf carts while wearing the goggles to learn about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.
IU and BPD have goals to encourage a safe approach to engaging in various activities and, in the case of BPD, community participation serves as outreach in an informal atmosphere.
Late Nite is from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Friday night in the Indiana Memorial Union. It involves free bowling, billiards, arts and crafts, and other games for student enjoyment. BPD will be present at some Late Nite events in an informal role, BPD Capt. Steve Kellams said.
The PRIDE Summerfest on Aug. 27 is another BPD event. The Summerfest is designed to create a greater awareness of LGBT issues and concerns in a safe atmosphere.
BPD will have a table set up to answer questions and address concerns posed by any of the event attendees.
Crossfit with a Cop is the young person version of Coffee with a Cop, Kellams said. At 11 a.m. Sept. 3, BPD officers will be at Hoosier Crossfit to engage with young people informally and teach the basics of CrossFit to anyone interested.
Fiesta del Otono takes place Sept. 24 during National Hispanic Heritage Month. The month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the independence of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
In past years, local Hispanic and Latino artists have shared their heritages through food, music and other entertainment for kids. BPD said it plans to be at the fiesta to reach out and communicate better with the large Hispanic community present in Bloomington.
The police department is also still accepting applications to its Citizens’ Academy during the fall semester period. The academy is designed to educate 30 people per class on the issues, problems and concerns related to the city of Bloomington and specifically to the police department.
The classes meet from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday Sept. 1 through Oct. 27, and the link to apply is at bloomington.in.gov/citizensacademy.
