Local police departments cited or arrested more than 100 Ball State University students in the last two weeks, which is average for this time of year, Gene Burton, director of public safety, said.
Ball State and Indiana State excise police have cited or arrested a total of 114 people for alcohol violations since Aug. 17.
"We have a fourth of the student population who this is their first time away from home," he said. "The start of the semester is a little slower, so students are not as occupied with class work. The weather is fantastic so people are out more. It's a combination of those things and some students are still learning what they can and can't get away with."
Burton said the Ball State police wrote nine citations this weekend.
Police wrote four citations under the suspicion of minor consumption and five were written under the suspicion of public intoxication. At least one of the public intoxication suspects was arrested, Burton said.
Sgt. Greg Wiese of the Indiana State excise police said the department cited 31 people on 35 charges on or near Ball State's campus.
The excise police cited 29 people under the suspicion of minor possession of alcohol, one under the suspicion of furnishing alcohol to a minor and one under suspicion of minor entering a liquor store and possession of false identification, Wiese said.
The excise police issued 22 citations Friday and nine citations Saturday, Wiese said. The excise police had 10 officers patrolling Friday night and three Saturday night, he said.
"In my opinion, there appeared to be less people walking around, even Saturday night compared to Friday night," he said.
The excise police cited or arrested a total of 105 people in the last two weeks after 74 citations were issued last weekend, Wiese said.
According to the Yorktown Town Court clerk's office, all the cases will pass through the county prosecutor's office. No court dates have been set, but will be in several months, according to the clerk's office.
The excise police also conducted Cops in Shops, in which officers checked 75 IDs in a two-hour time span, on Friday, Wiese said.
"Cops in Shops is a federally funded program where we go into liquor stores and pose as clerks or patrons, and then we assist clerks in checking IDs," he said.
Wiese said the program is designed to help the stores' employees more than it is to arrest lawbreakers.
"[It's] more leaned towards assisting the clerks that work in the store and cooperating with local liquor store committees," he said. "It's a deterrent after a while. Instead of being booted out by the clerk and shrugging your shoulders, you're being issued a citation by one of the officers."
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