Noise and alcohol related offenses see year-end low according to a report from APD.
Rejoice, students: Noise complaints and alcohol-related offenses in Athens were at several-year lows in 2014.
That’s according to data contained in the Athens Police Department’s annual report, which was released Wednesday morning.
There are a few potential reasons why that is the case.
First and foremost, as listed prominently in the report, APD is experiencing a staffing shortage that has, at times, led to decreased coverage. The department currently has two open officer positions. Certainly, fewer officers available to make arrests will lead to fewer arrests.
Another could be better behavior from OU students. Calls for service relating to alcohol were at the lowest total since 2007, and calls pertaining to fighting were at a 10-year low, as were calls pertaining to noise complaints and vandalism. Arrests relating to alcohol, noise and DUI were far below their 10-year averages.
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Lastly, it could be because APD decided to allocate resources elsewhere, such as making traffic stops — an area of emphasis for the department — or combatting more serious crimes such as burglary and sexual assault. Although traffic stops were down from 2013, arrests relating to burglaries were at a 10-year high, as were the amount of calls relating to rape.
Regardless, few students will be complaining about fewer trips to the drunk tank in Nelsonville. Hopefully, we’re staring down further decreases in those alcohol-related offenses at this time next year.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: editor-in-chief Jim Ryan, managing editor Sara Jerde, opinion editor Xander Zellner and projects editor Allan Smith. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
