Halloween weekend crime on downward trend from previous years, OPD says
Halloween celebrations stretched over two weekends this year, but local law enforcement says the festivities were quieter than previous years.
Halloweekend for Miami University students in Oxford brings costumes, bar outings and house parties. In previous years, it’s also brought an increase in alcohol-related incidents, fights and other issues for Oxford Police patrolling Uptown.
However, that trend may no longer be as pronounced.
Oxford Police Lieutenant Lara Fening said this year’s Halloween weekend was relatively quiet, with lower call volumes and a decline in disorderly conduct compared to previous years. The Oxford Police Department (OPD) was fully staffed but didn’t increase enforcement from last year.
“There’s really not much to say, people were more behaved,” Fening said. “We may have had theft and things like that, but I don’t necessarily attribute that to a Halloween weekend.”
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, Oxford police responded to one assault, two incidents of menacing, three thefts, one DUI and one report of underage drinking, according to a weekly media report.
OPD saw increased action between Oct. 24 and Oct. 27, the weekend before Halloween. In that time period, police responded to four calls involving underage drinking, in addition to one sexual assault, two cases of criminal mischief, a fight, three thefts and three cases of criminal damaging or menacing.
Fening attributes the decline of Halloween weekend incidents to increased education from the university about the dangers of reckless behaviors and the implementation of consequences.
“I remember back in the day, young people used to drink to the point and purpose of blacking out,” Fening said. “I would hear them say that was the goal that night, but I don’t hear that much anymore.”
She also said OPD didn’t see as many house parties or bar incidents. According to Fening, fights were common occurrences throughout the night in ’90s, but that isn’t as common anymore due to rules implemented by Miami or the state.
“Miami enacted or at least adhered to new rules, whether they were by the state or internally by Miami, that people could get kicked out for an assault conviction,” Fening said. “It didn’t take but two or three years for us to see a remarkable change in behavior with assaults.”
She noted that there was little overlap between children trick or treating and college students, as events for children typically end around 7:30 p.m., well before peak hours at the bars. If events do take place late in the evening, police enforcement is present.
“The college kids are very respectful of the little kids doing their thing,” Fening said.
Along with those measures, most Trick-or-Treating takes place in neighborhoods outside the Mile Square where most college students live. In the past, Fening said some kids would Trick-or-Treat at the college dorms.
“I would go into next Halloween weekend, because it’s going to be on a Friday next year, thinking that it might be a little bit busier,” Fening said, “but the last few years have been very manageable.”
