Officers pleased with quiet evening, fewer tickets during Welcome Weekend
Police clear people from the sidewalks during a party on Welcome Weekend on Aug. 25 on Franklin Street.
Local law enforcement was pleased with the decrease in crime and complaints during this year’s Welcome Weekend.
The Mount Pleasant Police Department dealt with 441 calls for service this year as opposed to 653 calls in 2016. The MPPD issued 149 citations or arrests during this year’s event.
This year, the MPPD issued 149 citations or arrests over the three days. There were 64 people cited or arrested for open intoxicants with 40 for minor in possession of alcohol. There were nine arrested or cited for nuisance party-hosting, eight for disorderly conduct and six for operating while intoxicated.
Last year, minor in possession totaled 70 citations or arrests and 45 for nuisance-party hosting. There were 17 citations or arrests for disorderly conduct in 2016.
The Central Michigan University Police Department had 16 citations for minor in possession, one arrest for minor in possession, three disorderly citations, two disorderly arrests, two VCSA (drug) arrests, one warrant (from other agencies) arrest, and one operating while intoxicated arrest.
Lt. Cameron Wassman of the CMUPD said there were also five ambulance calls to campus due to highly-intoxicated people.
Officer Jeff Browne of the MPPD said while issues of the past were still present during this year’s Welcome Weekend, he was happy to see the numbers start to slip.
“Obviously, we’d like the numbers to be zero,” Browne said. “We’re happy to see the change in the reduction but we still believe we have a lot of work to do.”
In 2014, Mount Pleasant developed a multi-year plan to address the history of violations and increasing tension among residents in the neighborhood north of CMU's campus. This area was highlighted as problematic, where owner-occupied properties and student rentals are intermingled, according to a MPPD press release.
Browne feels law enforcement is moving in the right direction on that multi-year plan, but believes there is room to improve. He said education, landlord relationships and student involvement have contributed to better Welcome Weekend numbers.
“Everybody’s got a part of the puzzle,” Browne said. “The enforcement part of it is big. Each place plays a role into this. It’s like assembling a puzzle – each piece comes together to make a pretty picture. We just need to continue to go in that direction.”
Browne said this year was the most he’s ever been thanked by students for his service. Nobody was arraigned this weekend for resisting and obstructing and felonies were down, he said. Browne added law enforcement did not have to move people for congesting the street for vehicular traffic.
“Those are the big progressions,” he said.
Wassman said it was a typical Welcome Weekend from his department. He said it was good to see a decrease in activity resulting in arrests and that people were respectful.
“We want people to have fun,” Wassman said. “We want them to follow the rules and be safe.”
Wassman said when it comes to working long shifts, he and his department realize that’s part of how things go.
“Obviously our summer time is a slower time,” Wassman said. “We all know this weekend’s coming and we’re able to prepare for it as best as we can and rest when the work is done.”
Browne said Welcome Weekend days are long days at work, with many shifts holding over. By the end, he said it is worth it.
“Everybody puts in a lot of extra hours,” Browne said. “Our overall goal is to provide a safe community for people who live here or people who are visiting.
Student Government Association President Anna Owens issued a statement Tuesday, Aug. 29, thanking law enforcement for their service on Welcome Weekend.
“The police handled this weekend with professionalism and kept the safety of students as the main priority,” Owens stated. “SGA is relieved to hear that there were no tragic events reported this weekend and would like to express their gratitude for the presence and assistance of the officers this weekend.”
The Isabella County Sheriff’s Office reported 296 total incidents, including 27 arrests, 29 tickets, 47 police reports generated or written and 60 total number of bookings in jail for all agencies.
Police deal with graffiti, damage to vehicles in crime log
Each incident is listed according to its report date:
Aug. 23
• Property damage was reported at Fabiano Hall. There was a report of spray paint vandalism on top of the roof area, said Lt. Cameron Wassman of the Central Michigan University Police Department. He said it could be tied to a graffiti case CMUPD is working on with MPPD. A suspect is in mind.
• Property damage was reported at the Bovee University Center roof area. Wassman said it looks like the graffiti is different from the one listed above. The words “yes” and “no” were painted. No suspects are in mind. It occurred sometime between May and August.
Aug. 26
• Damage to a vehicle parked in lot 22 was reported to the CMUPD. The vehicle’s driver-side front door and rear door sustained damage due to kicking, Wassman said. The estimated damage is $500. There are no suspects. The victim is an 18-year-old woman. It is believed to have happened overnight from Aug. 25.
• Damage to a vehicle in lot 22 was reported to the CMUPD. It presumably happened the night before, Wassman said. Door dents were caused by kicking the vehicle and damage is about $500. Suspects are currently unknown and the victim is an 18-year-old man.
Aug. 27
• A 21-year-old man was arrested for a felony warrant issued by another jurisdiction and possessing 2 grams of marijuana near the intersection of Preston and West Campus Drive.
• A hit-and-run is thought to have occurred between 4 p.m. Aug. 23 and noon Aug. 25. There are questions as to whether this happened in lot 63 or lot 1, Wassman said. There are no suspects at this time. There was damage to the driver’s side rear bumper.
• A damage to property was reported in lot 42. It is thought to have occurred between 5 p.m. on Aug. 24 and Aug. 27, Wassman said. Somebody urinated inside an unlocked vehicle. There are no suspects at the time.
