Police prepare for festivities

Law enforcement agencies in Bloomington are well-prepared to handle the celebrations of the Little 500 -- otherwise known as "The World's Greatest College Weekend."\nSgt. Bill Parker of the Bloomington police said coordinated efforts to reduce crime for the weekend events were planned months ago. Officers of the Bloomington Police Department will work overtime, as they will be divided into organized squads and two-man cars to send groups of various sizes to troubled areas in the community.\n"The provocative approaches we've taken in the past have seemed to work," Parker said. "We would like to anticipate that this will be a normal weekend, but we know it's not the case."\nParker said the most common types of violations during Little 500 weekend include under-age drinking, vandalism and fights. In past years, Parker said officers have been injured while on duty.\n"We need to send an appropriate amount of man power for different situations," Parker said.\nMonroe County Sheriff Steve Sharp said the average number of arrests made by his department over the weekend ranges from 100 to 150. Sharp advised party-goers to travel in groups and stay off the roads. He also urges those celebrating the events to stay inside their residences and keep noise levels under control.\n"We are all out there to protect the public from endangering themselves or others," Sharp said. "If concerns arise and situations are brought to our attention, police officers will become involved."\nThe Bloomington Shuttle Service, funded for weekend use by IUSA, will run its normal hours on Thursday to Saturday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.\n"The purpose of the service is to transport students who are unable to drive to bars and back to their homes," said Latrece Spence, dispatcher for the Bloomington Shuttle Service.\nThe route for the two buses includes stops at local bars around North Walnut Street and Kirkwood Avenue, and campus area pickups and drop-offs are at McNutt and around Third Street. The service is free, and passengers are recommended to tip drivers.\nSharp said undercover police officers will be heavily monitoring bars during the weekend, taking appropriate actions for underage drinkers.\nLinda Prall, owner of Kilroy's Sports Bar, said Little 500 weekend is one of two times during the year when an outside security company is hired to assist the staff.\n"We had a special training program to prepare for the weekend and in addition to the security company's assistance, we will have 20 of our most experienced inside security guards," Prall said.\nMonroe County clerk Jim Fielder said the justice building, located on the corner of Seventh Street and College Avenue, will be open on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. until noon. At that time, students who were arrested over the weekend will be able to come in for a pretrial diversion.\n"The program is set up by the prosecutors, and it ensures that first time offenders will not walk away from Little 500 weekend with a conviction on their record," Fielder said.\nFielder said the county has seen between 200 and 600 arrests on Little 500 weekend each year. The program, which aims to assist arrested students, will require them to pay a $327 fee, as well as attend alcohol education classes as needed.\nIUPD Sgt. Jerry Minger cautioned students who are planning on celebrating the Little 500 weekend.\n"There will be many watchful eyes both on and off campus," Minger said.