As Ball State police officer Scott Stafford drove through Abbott Street late Friday night, he noticed the lawns were much emptier than they had been in the past.
"Last year I would turn on Abbott Street, and all you would see was kids on this road - hundreds of them," Stafford said. "They'd just stand out on the road and go from party to party."
Since the recent crack down on house parties, however, he said he's seen fewer students walking outside at night, and the neighborhood surrounding campus has been much quieter.
The university's new "Police Yourself" campaign appears to be working so far, but some students still don't abide by the law and must face the consequences, he said.
"Is there anything wrong with having a party at a house?" Stafford said. "No, it's just being responsible."
To him, the lack of responsibility is the biggest problem on the campus.
"In a perfect world, everyone under 21 won't drink, and everyone drinking will be responsible," he said. "This is not a perfect world."
While passing through campus on his shift from 11:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., Stafford explained that university officers don't drive around looking for parties to bust, nor do they strive to jail students for minor consumption of alcohol.
However, if students do act up, police have to do their job, Stafford said.
"Unfortunately I'm the one that has to enforce the law you violated," he said.
Police sergeant Kent Kurtz, who shared the shift with Stafford, said the police department is not trying to fill a quota when they give citations to underage drinkers.
"We get paid by the hour, so the less tickets we have to write, the better," Kurtz said.
As long as students aren't being destructive or acting irresponsibly at parties, Stafford said he usually leaves them alone unless he receives a complaint - often a noise complaint.
Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle said the target is the people throwing the parties.
"We're just trying to stop these major parties," he said. "It brings in some of our local people who you wouldn't want at your parties."
The university police department mainly patrols the area surrounded by McGalliard Road, Jackson Street and Wheeling Avenue and Tillotson Avenue. While each midnight shift is different, university officers travel on average about 50 miles per night.
To Stafford and Kurtz, the time and effort is worthwhile as long as the message is getting out to the Ball State student body.
"Policing yourself, I think, is a very good thing," Stafford said.
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