Excise police issue 167 tickets for Little 500

Indiana State Excise Police officers issued 167 summonses to 134 people during Little 500 weekend. Several others were incarcerated. The officers also issued 13 warning tickets.

This number is the highest since 2008. In 2010 excise police issued 158 tickets. They issued 157 in 2009, 202 in 2008 and 103 in 2007.

The majority of tickets were for alcohol-related offenses. Many summonses were issued for illegal possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, providing alcoholic beverages to a minor and public intoxication.

Other offenses also earned people jail time, community service or fines. These included theft, possession of marijuana, resisting law enforcement and false informing.

“Excise officers focused their attention on Bloomington this weekend, when alcohol violations are historically high as a result of Indiana University’s Little 500,” Officer Travis Thickstun said in a press release. “A significant number of those arrested or cited by excise police this week were not IU students. Instead, they were people visiting Bloomington for the weeklong party atmosphere.”