While arresting six students over the weekend was a "typical" start to the school year after a quiet summer, Ball State police chief Gene Burton said the university is still striving to lower the number of arrests made this year.
"The ultimate goal is compliance in behavior without having to take enforcement action," Burton said.
He said a total of 14 individuals were arrested during the weekend, eight of whom were non-students. He said four of the student arrests were made adjacent to university property while the rest were made off-campus.
He also said three of the students were arrested for minor consumption, two were arrested for public intoxication and one was arrested for possession of marijuana.
Burton said to help decrease such instances this year, the university plans to build on its former "Police Yourself" campaign by continuing to promote the idea of personal responsibility among students.
The campaign, launched at a press conference March 24, was established to raise student awareness about the consequences of illegal alcohol use and to reduce risky behavior that might jeopardize student health, Heather Shupp, executive director of university communications, said.
She said although the campaign is no longer operating under the "Police Yourself" tagline, it is still being enforced to communicate clearly to students that Ball State is committed to maintaining a healthy environment for everyone.
"It's really an evolution," Shupp said. "It encompasses a lot of different elements that will reach students through the duration of the academic year."
She said continuing to improve alcohol awareness on-campus is key to encouraging students to make responsible decisions that will allow them to have a positive college experience.
"It is important to continue delivering these messages," Shupp said. "The university has goals in mind so students are not surprised by the consequences or outcome if they are arrested for alcohol. It will help them make good and informed choices so they do not get in trouble with the law."
Shupp said promoting the campaign will also help protect the reputation of the university, which will benefit students as they represent Ball State when they apply for jobs after graduation.
"They deserve to have the most positive educational environment when they can," Shupp said.
To help fulfill this goal, the police department has already begun to do early evening patrols, which it plans to continue doing this fall, Burton said.
He said Ball State also spoke with the Muncie police throughout the summer to continue building working relations this year that will allow them to effectively promote law enforcement throughout the week, primarily on Thursday, Friday and Saturday when students are most likely to hold or attend parties.
"We plan to work together to improve police service in the community and in the neighborhood around Ball State," Burton said.
He said just as last year's "Police Yourself" campaign was effective at increasing student awareness, he hopes students this year are continually informed about the university's efforts to promote safety on campus.
"I doubt there was a student on campus who didn't hear about [the campaign] last year," Burton said. "I don't know that we'll ever get to that proportion again, but most of our audience has already heard about the 'Police Yourself' campaign. We're looking at targeting incoming freshmen."
He said as the school year begins, he would advise all students to make an effort to avoid trouble by simply not getting into it in the first place.
"That's the best way to avoid problems--not to put yourself in the position," Burton said. "And those who are not going to listen to that advice should avoid calling attention to themselves.
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