Photo Story

•0":‘,,* Sergeant Kobeit Neely patrols near Dunn Street the Friday night of Little SOO weekend.

Police try to keep the peace during the least peaceful weekend of the year — Little 500

Every year some Little 500 partiers create havoc for local and state law enforcement officials. Bloomington is literall y invaded by hundreds of various law enforcement officers, from Excise to State Police, 11_7

Police Department to Bloomington Police Department, and rent-a-cops posted at every entrance of many apartment buildings. This story is about the men and women behind the scenes, officers struggling to keep the peace during the least peaceful weekend of the year in Bloomington. The objective of this project was to see what the

continued

Photographs and Story by Sam Riche

Officers Chris Easton and

lames Witmer arrest

youths for allegedly consuming alcohol under the legal age. Indiana University Little 500

Indiana State Police Bloomington District 433 Operations Manual

State and local utti( ials have comprised this booklet to guide them through the Little 500 weekend. Above: Officer Marty Deckard rests during an uneventful Friday night.

100411140 000 0414, 4100 40404611 4:4‘. 040

Officer David Drake loads arrested youth. into the paddy wagon outside of Dunnhill. apartments Friday night.

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olice officers go through in the 72 hours of prime parties during the Little 500 weekend. Every year, Bloomington police officers are faced with three consecutive days of dealing with drunken, loud and many times, obnoxious people.

I followed BPD officers on two 14-hour da ys of foot patrol through the biggest problem areas in Bloomington: Dunn Street to Walnut Avenue and 17th Street to the bypass. Illegal consumption, or under-age drinking, top the list of arrests during the

This youth realized that running from the Bloomington Police Department officers on patrol doesn't neccessarily mean you won't get caught. historically-crazy weekend. But Bloomington has certainl y been quieter these last few years.

In 1991, parties at the Varsity Villas and Dunnhill apartments were out of control. Drunk partygoers rolled a new Cadillac in the parking lot of the Villas, threw burning couches from their decks and bottles at police, and tried to set every trash Dumpster on fire. "You see over there b y the pool," Sergeant Robert Neel y said. "1 remember when there Were people, all of them passed out or not knowing where they were, and most half-naked, with couches, chairs, everything you can imagine, on fire in the empty pool. Apartment owners don't dare open their pools, or even fill them up until Little 5 is over."

In 1991, more than 580 people were arrested on various charges including illegal consumption and resisting arrest.

Sergeant Neely of BPD said, "People used to come to Bloomington for Little 5 weekend with nothing but a mug for beer and a blanket to sleep on. People would just go from party to party and find a place to pass out somewhere along the way."

But the parties had turned quieter and BPD's job became much easier. Sometimes the officers even came close to boredom. "Lately we've been bored on these weekends. Most of the officers think it's a waste of time anymore, but we still have to go through it continued

Bored at the Lonvcnient Mart or mud on the

corner of 17th Street and Dunn Street are

Officers David Drake, Jon Spurr, Sergeants Joe Qualtcrs and Robert Neely, and Officer Kevin Hill.

Those arrested over the Little 500 weekend

spent Sunday picking up trash in the streets

and alleyways as part of their punishment.

Students arrested during the Little 500

weekend form lines at the City County

Building to pay their fines and sign up for the

mandatory five hours of public restitution.

A flyway," Sergeant Neely said. This year, only 119 people were arrested in Bloomington during Little 5 weekend. Indeed every year since 1991, arrests have dropped an average of 100 people per year during the weekend.

Big football weekends have begun to rival the Little 500 weekend arrest activity. Police have literally scared people into abiding by the law. Since the 1991 problems, the police presence in Bloomington has doubled. The State Police helicopter in the air and paddy wagons roaming the streets are now "a show of force, intended to keep people aware of our presence during the weekend," Sergeant Neely said.

In fact, for those who have attended the actual race in the last few years, they will have noticed a marked decrease in attendance. Simply, less people come to Bloomington during the weekend than five years ago. Less people meant fewer arrests for BPD.

Those arrested had to show up at the City County building the Sunday morning of the Little 5 weekend. Lines of hungover people form, paving $280 fines in pre-trial diversion to the city for their crimes during the weekend. Also, for those arrested, a five-hour public restitution term must be met that Sunday afternoon, picking up trash around the worstlittered areas of town.

Doing this project I found that, even with the tedious hours and headaches, the BPD police who worked during the Little 5 weekend were extremely polite. They were not concerned with petty charges, or trying to meet some mystery arrest quota. They talked genuinely and openly with those partiers in various apartment complexes, trying only to keep things quiet. Many times, the onl y request of the BPD officers was to remain in the apartment and keep the volume of the stereo at a reasonable level. Police made arrests, and they were prepared for the worst, but, in general, BPD had a very, very quiet weekend. El

In the rain and mud, students pick up trash left behind by party-goers as part of their punishment for their crimes.