IU Police Department Sgt. Brian Oliger said the weekend of Little 500 is one of his favorite times of the year.
He said while the department usually deals with the people who are most out of control, the busy atmosphere of the weekend makes his job more fun. IUPD responded to 202 calls from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Sunday, IUPD Capt. Andy Stephenson said. This doesn’t include any officer-initiated interactions, such as traffic stops.
“We get some belligerent people we have to deal with, and they’re usually not so nice,” Oliger said. “But for the most part I like to be out there around everybody.”
Oliger was an IUPD cadet in 1996, worked as a part-time officer in 1997 and began working full-time in 1999. He was also a rider for Delta Chi’s Little 500 team during his time at IU.
“No matter what you’re doing, there are going to be a few people who ruin it for everybody else,” Oliger said. “There are some people who are difficult to deal with, but most people are just out there having fun.”
IUPD was one of several law enforcement agencies to respond to Little 500 weekend incidents, including the Bloomington Police Department and Indiana State Police. IUPD made 33 arrests, 26 of which involved alcohol, Stephenson said.
“This is pretty similar to the numbers we’ve seen in the past few years,” Stephenson said. “There hasn’t been a significant increase or decrease in dispatches recently.”
Multiple rapes were among the crimes reported to IUPD. This is not typically a trend for the department during Little 500 weekend, Stephenson said.
“There’s no data that indicates rape is more prevalent or more violent during the weekend of Little 500,” Stephenson said. “And, as always, these are just the ones reported to us. We’re never sure how many aren’t reported, which makes it a hard crime to track.”
Weather often plays a role in levels of criminal activity, Oliger said. He said Little 500 weekend was rainy and cold the last two years, which could have caused a decrease in the number of dispatches and arrests.
While there was a surge in activity for police officers last weekend, it has been worse in past years, Oliger said. He said most students have learned how to stay out of trouble due to the increased police presence during Little 500 weekend.
“I would equate it to working a very busy football weekend,” Oliger said. “We used to be riding call to call, and there were always fights everywhere.”
This year, there were 42 IUPD dispatches to dorms and 17 to greek houses, Stephenson said.
“Some officers don’t like that. They want the weekend to be slow,” Oliger said. “But for me, I love being busy. It doesn’t feel like work for me.”
