Ohio University President Roderick McDavis joined Athens Mayor Ric Abel at a news conference yesterday to tout non-alcoholic events and a beefed-up police presence planned for this year's Halloween celebration.
Athens City Council has allocated $7,500 to pay about 50 additional police officers $150 a night for Halloween weekend, which typically attracts about 10,000 out-of-town guests and costs the city about $70,000. The additional officers will include 20 on horseback.
In past years, between 30 and 40 additional officers, including a few less than 20 on horseback, worked Halloween on a volunteer basis.
Our job as public servants is to help residents
Abel said. Many years ago Halloween was a confrontation. People took over the streets and that was no good.
McDavis also stressed some non-alcoholic, OU-sponsored events ' such as dances, an open stage and a game night at Baker University Center ' planned for Halloween weekend. Although many of these events are scheduled every weekend, McDavis said he hopes they will be much more of a focal point on Halloween.
Additionally, McDavis praised OU students for behaving responsibly during Halloween, noting that only 18 of the 98 people arrested in 2004's celebration and only six of the 95 arrested in 2005's celebration were OU students.
I'm so proud of the fact that most of our students do the right thing
McDavis said. In fact
95 percent of our students we believe are going to do the right thing.
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Matt Zapotosky
