House parties near campus have decreased in both size and frequency since the death of Karl Harford, university police said.
Both the University Police and Muncie Police departments attribute the decline to increased enforcement efforts and improved student awareness following the shooting and the university's subsequent crackdown on house parties.
"I think everyone is aware now that we don't have a lot of tolerance for any parties," Terry Winters, deputy chief of Muncie Police, said. "A lot of people don't want to get in trouble with that and want to avoid the problem."
The number of loud party calls dropped from 126 calls last year to 59 calls so far this year, Ball State Police Chief Gene Burton said. The number of noise complaints also decreased from 137 last year to 108 this year. Police have made 160 arrests so far this year for minor consumption and possession of alcohol -- 27 more than last year.
Winters said his department plans to continue working with the university to keep improving on these numbers.
"It takes cooperation between both the university and police to get this accomplished," Winters said, "just so we don't have any problems as far as anyone getting hurt or things getting out of control."
Mayor Dan Canan said the city of Muncie and the Muncie Police Department had planned to begin a crackdown on house parties about two weeks prior to Harford's shooting.
"I think it just emphasized the need for it," Canan said. "He was at a house party that allowed him to meet these individuals that murdered him."
Students should also be more responsible in terms of their alcohol consumption at house parties, Winters said.
"It's just that college students go to the university and are under a lot of stress with schooling and tests and everything, and they're out on their own and just get out of control a little bit," Winters said. "We're hoping our efforts are making them more aware of the consequences of their actions."
Police raided a party at Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity's house in April 2004, arresting and ticketing 87 underage drinkers. Lambda Chi Alpha members said the party was to benefit the Karl T. Harford Good Samaritan scholarship.
Junior Matt Heffernan, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said he has seen how Harford's shooting and the Lambda Chi raid affected Ball State's house party culture.
"I think that houses are skeptical about having social gatherings now," Heffernan said. "Everyone is kind of scared to do anything anymore."
Fraternity parties are also a lot more likely to turn away underage students or already intoxicated people, Heffernan said.
"With fraternities, when we do have a party or gathering, it's safer because a lot more is on the line," he said. "We have a chance of losing the chapter over one night, so we're a lot more careful."
Ball State police will increase patrols around campus as the weather gets warmer, Burton said. He said police officers also conducted early patrols, where they interacted with students before house parties began. Police will resume the program again this semester, he said.
Since Harford's shooting death, Canan has also been trying to improve Ball State and Muncie relations. The city is improving its relationship with the Student Government Association and is also setting up a new Mayor's Commission to interact with student representatives, he said.
"[I hope] that all students will behave themselves, that there will be a great relationship with students and neighbors off campus ... and that students' experience with Muncie will be positive, " Canan said.
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