IUPD preps for Little 500 week

As Little 500 approaches, the IU Police Department has begun preparations for the week's traditional parties and celebrations, which often result in a spike in alcohol arrests.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the department has had meetings throughout the year about enforcement next week.\n"We do (planning) well in advance every year," Minger said. "Looking back at the historical things we've seen in the past, we have to try to prevent them from happening in the future."\nMinger said the Little 500 riots in the Varsity Villas were a grave concern for law enforcement during the late 1970s.\n"Cars were tipped over and set on fire," Minger said. "When the fire department tried to get in, they were pelted with bottles and water balloons from balconies. That's when (police) had to go in with riot gear."\nMinger said that incident changed the way apartment complexes and off-campus businesses interact with local law enforcement.\n"Apartment complexes hire outside security to restrict people who come in and out and park there," he said. "If they call us for assistance, we are ready to respond to the complaints right away."\nMinger said the most common types of violations during the Little 500 weekend are public intoxication and illegal consumption of alcohol. However, the IUPD also deals with a rise of vandalism and assault cases during the week.\nAccording to IUPD statistics, officers made a total of 125 arrests and wrote 76 citations during the 2004 Little 500 weekend. Of those, 100 were alcohol-related offenses.\n"We have come to realize climate is a great factor in keeping people inside," he said. "The number of arrests during the entire weekend are so dependent upon the weather. If it's a rainy weekend, people will typically stay in and keep themselves out of the public eye."\nMinger said IUPD won't make any "drastic" changes in how the law is enforced this year.\n"As always, our main concern is always the safety and security of the people on campus," he said. "We encourage everyone to make responsible decisions. If (someone) 21 or older is going to go out and drink, they have to stay off the roads. All too often, that's not the case."\nMonroe County Clerk Jim Fielder said the justice building will be open April 17 for the pretrial diversion program. The program allows students who were arrested during the weekend to pay a one-time fee of $360 in exchange for keeping their record clean. After paying the fine, students can assist in road crew work around campus.\n"The program has been around for at least 25 years and is designed to accommodate the extra arrests," Fielder said. "It's a convenient thing because if people from out of town are arrested, they can get it over with in one day instead of coming back."\nFielder said he expects anywhere between 200 and 500 people to show up Sunday morning.\n"We remind students that if they are going to go out and party, they should also be ready to pick up some trash," he said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.