Unruly partygoers who find themselves incarcerated this Saturday will have to rely on the help of a sober friend with a car to bail them out of jail.
At the mayor's press conference yesterday, Athens Police Department Chief Richard Mayer said that instead of being held at the old county jail, police will transport disruptive citizens to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville.
The booking process will be the same
but rather than having seating around the area they'll go right to the jail said Lt. Randy Gray of the APD. County vehicles will be used to transport arrested citizens to the jail.
Gray said that problem stems from a variety of factors, but mostly staffing and personnel problems of officers from both the jail and the APD.
We just don't have all the personnel available to handle it
he said.
The APD is authorized to have 28 officers on duty, but currently has 20 on duty.
According to a news release, more than 120 people ' 50 for underage consumption and 75 for disorderly conduct ' were arrested during last year's Halloween celebration. The release did not list how many arrests were for repeat offenders.However, Gray did not feel that the problem of repeat offenders was related to the location change itself.
That would be something that the judge may take into account when it comes to sentencing
but it doesn't really have anything to do with people being taken to jail
he said.
But the city's new means of dealing with arrested citizens is not the only change in store for this weekend. City officials have teamed up with the Ohio Department of Public Safety to promote a responsible celebration, posting fliers and banners to educate partygoers about safe drinking.
Other new players to the game include officers from the Division of the State Fire Marshal, who have been recruited to inspect the bars uptown, Mayor Ric Abel said.
We want everybody to have a safe and enjoyable Halloween weekend
said Cathy Collins-Taylor, executive director of the ODPS Investigative Unit.
ODPS will continue with its campaign, as well as send agents to monitor drinking Uptown. ODPS also has ensured the Ohio State Highway Patrol will patrol along the U.S. Route 33 corridor and other areas to keep an eye on potential traffic problems.
The campus will be patrolled heavily this weekend
said Collins-Taylor.
Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett estimated that nearly 20 agents from the Ohio Investigative Unit will attend the celebration to enforce liquor laws, including overserving, underage consumption and open container violations.
They're the ones that will be undercover and in disguise
he said.
As in previous years, parking has been reconfigured to accommodate the celebration.
There will be no parking Uptown or on Mill Street to create safety for pedestrians, Mayer said. All of Court Street and one block each way on the side streets will be closed off, as well as the first block from College Street to Lash Street.
An undetermined number of outside police officers will patrol the area on Saturday. Abel noted that while the budget allows for 50 additional officers, it does not take into account volunteer officers who show up for extra experience.
The main thing to remember is safety
said Abel. We want to use what's best and safer for everybody.
