Underage drinking citations decrease

Citations for underage drinking decreased during IU’s Welcome Week compared to past years.

Indiana State Excise Police handed out 63 citations during Aug. 27-30, which is down 65 percent from the number of citations handed out last year. IU Police Department arrested 43 people during Aug. 27-31, an increase from last year’s 32 arrest count.

Fifty minors were charged with illegal possession, consumption or transportation of alcoholic beverages this year compared to the 81 minors who were charged for the same last year, according to a press release from the Indiana State Excise Police.

In addition, three minors were charged with using a false identification, four adults were arrested for providing alcoholic beverages to minors and five people were arrested for a variety of offenses involving alcohol, according to the press release.

Indiana State Excise Officer Travis Thickstun said police started preparing for Welcome Week ahead of time.

“This year perhaps people were more attentive to obey by the law,” Thickstun said. “Maybe there was some impact from last year’s enforcement activity.”

Thickstun said the Indiana State Excise Police has been undergoing changes for some years as far as when officers work and where. He said the impact of the changes can be seen more now than in the previous years.

“There has been a slight impact on Welcome Week and home games from people knowing that we are out there,” Thickstun said.

IUPD arrested about eight people during the weekend for incidents involving alcohol, according to IUPD police reports. The rest of the arrests involved possession of illegal substances.

Of the 43 people IUPD arrested, IUPD Captain Jerry Minger said an increasing number of people were unconscious when officers arrived to the scene. Minger could not give an exact number of people who had incidents involving medical assistance.

Although the number of citations given out by the state excise police decreased, Minger said he can’t say for sure if this means the number of students drinking has decreased, but rather that police came in contact with fewer people who were drinking.