The UW Police Department reported on Sunday that more alcohol-related crimes and crimes in general occurred during this year’s Homecoming weekend than any other weekend this year, however there were less reported incidents this year than the last two Homecoming weekends.
Austin Handley, a UW sophomore majoring in Communications, said that he expected a large number of incidents during Homecoming weekend.
“The Laramie Police Department and UW Police will have their handfuls with all of the jack knobs, but I personally will not be overdoing it this weekend,” Handley said.
At least seven cases of alcohol-related offenses were recorded last year during Homecoming weekend, and twelve cases were reported during Homecoming in 2012. This year there were a total of nine issues attended to by UW Police, and only one was an alcohol-related offense at the Homecoming game.
UW Police did not comment on the decline in alcohol-related offenses at this year’s festivities.
After comparing the crime rates of every first and last weekend in October for the last two years, it seems that offenses are always at their highest during Homecoming weekend.
Hallie Horton, a senior psychology major, said that she noticed more police than usual downtown over the weekend.
“Definitely more police than usual and some even had K-9 units downtown. There was also a blockade in front of one of the bars because there were so many people,” Horton said.
Horton also said that she only saw UW Police while at the football game, and only Laramie Police after the game around town. “Even though the Cowboys lost on Saturday everyone was happy-dappy enough to go out,” she said.
In spite of the above-average number of incidents over the weekend, this year’s Homecoming had less reported incidents than Homecoming weekends of the last two years. Though the cause of this decrease is unknown, only time will tell if this trend continues.
