Safety top priority for ECU Police and ALE

Campus law enforcement is leaving nothing to chance this Halloween when it comes to safety.

The Greenville Police Department will be leading a widespread effort to keep streets safe when crowds flock downtown this Halloween, but other enforcement agencies in the area such as ECU's campus police have plans of their own to keep Greenville's citizens safe on what promises to be the most hectic night of the year.

The ECU Police Department is spearheading a crime-stopping effort focusing on eliminating crime before it begins. Lieutenant Jason Sugg of the ECU Police Department said law enforcement officers will be keeping an eye out for people who are carrying weapons - both real and fake. Officers will also be monitoring patrol areas for potential fights and people who appear to be highly intoxicated.

A common concern of students tends to be whether or not they will receive a drinking ticket if they are deemed intoxicated by law enforcement while being under the legal drinking age. Sugg said though he will not rule out drinking ticket distribution, the ECU Police Department's primary concern is safety, and students are not likely to be approached by an officer unless they are doing something to call attention to themselves.

"We want everybody to have a good time," he said, "But we want people to be smart about it."

Security on Halloween will be "not unlike a football game in terms of staff we're going to provide," said Sugg.

ECU Police will be stationed on College Hill, Central Campus near classroom areas and on West End. The ECU Police Department will also be dispatching troops to patrol Reade Street, as well as the area around the Student Recreation Center and Mendenhall - an on-campus location that will be hosting events throughout Halloween night.

The Alcohol Law Enforcement Division of the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety also intends on keeping Halloween crime at a minimum this year.

"We'll be doing our normal activities with extra manpower," said Diane Chapin, Special Agent in Charge for District 2 of the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.

The ALE will be partnering with the Greenville Police Department, the Pitt County Sheriff's office and the Pitt County ABC Board to ensure safety downtown.

She said any place that sells alcohol should be cracking down on I.D. checks to combat underage drinking, and that house parties charging entrance fees can be subjected to the same alcohol distribution laws as businesses.

ALE officers sent into the community will be looking for all types of criminal behavior related to alcohol, but Chapin pointed out that ALE officers are state law enforcement authorities and have the jurisdiction to arrest for crimes outside of the alcohol realm.

"On Halloween, people seem to get a little bit crazier, and I think alcohol plays a part in that," Chapin said.

District 2 of the ALE covers nine counties, and officers from all District 2 counties will be sent to Greenville next Saturday to patrol the city.

As far as advice to students, Chapin provided practical insight. She suggested those under 21 stay away from consuming alcohol, and those over the legal age drink in moderation.

"Look out for your friends, look out for yourself," she recommended, "… safety in numbers."

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.