IUPD arrests down, no citations issued

Arrests, citations and overall incident reports were down this year from previous Little 500s, according to IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger. Nineteen arrests had been made as of Sunday morning, most of which involved alcohol or drug possession.\nMinger said he didn't know whether or not the weekend was statistically less eventful than past races, but he said both the men's and women's races went off without incident. Only one person was arrested for public intoxication, and the worst injury suffered at either event came when a young boy hit his head on bleacher scaffolding.\n"It doesn't seem like there really were any critical incidents," Minger said. "(The race was) very festive, very social, there was only one person that I could think of that was actually arrested."\nMinger said the week went off smoothly, and that he was pleased with the way students and campus police alike handled the race.\nHe didn't know why it seemed the amount of illegal activity IUPD dealt with seemed to shrink, but offered a few suggestions. Minger, himself a former IU student, said he believed that a combination of poor weather early in the week and more overall awareness on the part of students on campus might have contributed to a calmer weekend. \nMinger said he believed that the festivity of the weekend affected the entire Bloomington community, and that the relative maturity of the IU student body was a positive reflection on the University. \n"It did go off smoothly, there's no doubt about that," Minger said. "Maybe press and education just sort of pushed (partygoers) to be more responsible."\nMinger also said he believed the lack of any major event on campus outside of the races might have contributed to the smooth week. In past years, he noted, outdoor concerts and similar events drew significant police attention. Minger pointed out that people were more likely to be caught doing things illegally if they were in public at such events. \nMinger, who has experienced Little 500 for more than 30 years, said that the race week now is much more festive and less destructive than it used to be. The longtime IUPD lieutenant said it seemed like "things have gotten much more civil." \nHe pointed out struggles in past years, when North Jordan Avenue had to be blocked off from traffic, and parties would spill over into the city, causing damage. \nMinger said many times that the campus and the community deserved the most praise for the week. He said he believed Little 500 week to be a great college tradition, and that he wanted nothing more than to facilitate good, clean fun.\n"As an IU community at large, (Little 500 week) was successful," Minger said. "The community should look good in getting praise"