While students picked out their costumes and planned their party routes last week, campus prepared different security measures to meet the demands of the holiday.
Leading up to the Halloween weekend, students received several notices from both the administration, as well as off-campus proprietors, reminding them to enjoy the holiday safely. Properties such as Renee Row emailed their tenants to inform them of increased Department of Public Safety and Milwaukee Police Department patrols, asking tenants to host parties responsibly, bearing in mind the risks of public intoxication and underage drinking. Meanwhile, Vice President for Student Affairs L. Christopher Miller sent out an email promoting alcohol-free events on campus as well as safety resources, such as the BlueLight Campus Safety app and Uber rides.
So how did Marquette fare this weekend? According to the DPS Daily Log, there were approximately 20 incidents between Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1. However, only eight occurred late at night, peak party time, of which only half were drug or alcohol offenses.
It is impossible to determine an exact correlation between the advisory notices and the number of incidents on campus, but it seems apparent that this weekend, known for its heavy partying and shenanigans, students were part of fewer incidents than originally anticipated.
The number of incidents depicts a safer Halloween, with students hopefully acting to ensure their own and others’ safety. However, it just indicates DPS and the campus community must continue security measures and maintain initiatives during high-risk weekends as well as the rest of the year.
For this Halloween weekend, Marquette offered a coupon code for a free first-time ride with Uber. It would be interesting to see this initiative continue during other high-risk times of the year, such as St. Patrick’s Day. It is a way to encourage safe transportation and avoid potentially dangerous situations that sometimes come with heavy drinking. Such services could continue throughout the year, as reality shows students drink throughout the year, on holidays and non-holidays.
A refresher on Marquette’s drug and alcohol policy, including consequences of its breach, would also be useful. Increased patrols in the area leads to faster responses to crime but students should be consistently aware of what they can get in trouble for and the possible consequences. This would be a better tactic to nip potential alcohol-related incidents early.
Consequences can range from a disciplinary hearing before the student conduct board, to fines and expulsion from the institution. If students are reminded of these consequences in a clear manner, they may think before putting themselves in unsafe situations with alcohol or drugs.
Overall, it is good to see incident numbers reasonably low, and preemptive notices were a part of this safer environment. However, maintaining and encouraging student safety throughout the year is necessary, and the administration should continue their efforts to urge students to think and act in a smart way when drinking is involved.
