Halloween celebrations started early in Chico last weekend, and city and campus law enforcement officials are preparing for more of the same.
“Weekend graveyards were busier than normal,” said Lt. Corinne Beck of the University Police Department regarding night duty patrol shifts. “This was likely partially due to the upcoming holiday weekend. Many Halloween parties occurred this past weekend.”
“Many Halloween parties occurred this past weekend.”
-Lt. Corinne Beck
Police responded to seven alcohol-related incidents and three narcotics violations, according to weekend police call logs. One attempted sexual assault also occurred early Saturday morning, according to a university police press release.
The busiest nights have yet to come, Beck said. Every available officer is scheduled to work to create a safe Halloween weekend. Some officers will work overtime.
“The incident objectives for the weekend are to prevent the victimization of our campus community members and law enforcement constituents, to protect campus properties, facilities and resources, and to be prepared to assist allied agencies in the event of riotous behavior,” Beck wrote in an email to The Orion. “We will utilize patrol teams on foot, on bikes and in vehicles.”
University police will be joined by the Chico Police Department, said Lt. George Laver of the Chico Police Department at a community advisory meeting earlier this month.
The police will be joined by outside agencies including state parks officers, a district attorney investigator and law enforcement officials from the Paradise Police Department and the Butte County Sheriff’s Department.
“We will have extra DUI saturation control people out and about, specifically targeting drunk drivers,” Laver said.
Chico police will work in conjunction with university police and Enloe Medical Center on alcohol overdoses and assessing drivers for intoxication, Laver said. Temporary holding facilities will be fully staffed.
Chico police will be rearranging its officers’ shifts, maximizing the number of officers that will be on the streets during the holiday weekend.
“We will have all our people working that night with the exception of the day shift that works that day,” Laver said.
Enforcing laws during the holiday is expected to cost the department about $20,000 more than last year, an estimated $75,000, Laver said.
Costs are not built into the department’s budget, and there is no cost recovery mechanism in place, Laver said. Fines paid by offenders during the holiday weekend will go to courts.
Beck advised campus and community members to notify police of suspicious behavior.
“Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
Officers in the University Police Department are hopeful that they will see a downward trend in arrests and safety concerns associated with the holiday, Beck said.
Mozes Zarate can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.
