With fewer students in town, IUPD refocuses

The excuse, “I didn’t think it mattered because the students aren’t on campus anymore,” may not be such a good one for a traffic violation in the summer. \nIU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said that the IUPD is still on patrol, despite the decrease in the number of people on campus after the spring semester ended.\n“During the 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift, duties are mainly service-oriented,” Minger, said. “Calls come in for traffic violations, accidents, fire alarms.”\nMinger said that, into the evening, more criminal activities such as burglary occur.\nChad Werner, a full-time officer with IUPD, agrees with Minger.\n“Third shift, or ‘late watch,’ as it’s called, sees the most action in the summer,” he said. \nWerner began working for the IUPD in August 2002 after he graduated from police academy. He’s taken the late watch before, but now he usually takes the afternoon shift. Although not as much activity goes on in the afternoon, Werner said that the summer has its exciting moments.\n“Seat belts are fun,” Werner said in regard to traffic violations, which make up a large chunk of the afternoon shift. “People think they can put (the seat belt) on real quick.”\nWerner mentioned being involved in a foot chase on May 5. Police were called after an armed man robbed the Village Pantry on 12th Street and Indiana Avenue. Werner was one of the officers who ran after him. \n“He hit a fence and ran around it. I met him on the other side, and two other officers came and tackled him,” he said.\n A unique phenomenon that Werner often experiences after students leave for the summer is “dumpster diving.” After students leave for the summer, locals look for anything they can sell or use in the large amount of junk students throw in dumpsters. After the first offense, the “dumpster diver” is told to leave. After the second offense, Werner said, the person is arrested.\n“It’s a stupid reason to go to jail,” he said.\nAs for students who are taking summer courses, Werner said that they cause fewer problems than students who are at IU during the normal school year.\n“Students in summer are usually more focused and aren’t concentrating so much on partying,” he said.\nMinger noted a difference between the school year and summer in regard to the calls IUPD receives. \nEven though students have left campus, Minger said, “There’s certainly not a decrease in activity.”\nStudents are no longer living in the residence halls or walking around campus in large groups, but the officers still have a lot to do. \nThey assist people who come in for conferences, instruct cadets in the police academy and patrol popular summer spots among high school students. \n“High school students bring in a certain negative element of juvenile delinquency,” Minger said. \nHe also mentioned that police find it more difficult to patrol the campus in the summer because there aren’t a lot of students around to “police” the area for them. \nNonetheless, Minger said that the change from the school year to summer keeps officers from doing the same thing every day.\n“The variety keeps the officers on their toes,” he said. “It breaks up the monotony.”