BPD to patrol by foot, bike, vehicle for Little 500

Long nights, big parties and illegal activities might define Little 500 weekend, but not only for the students – for Bloomington Police Department officers, too.

More than 90 BPD officers in full uniform will work 12-hour shifts for Little 500 weekend.

The majority of these officers will be working from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. or 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., said BPD Lt. David Drake. All officers will be given specific areas to cover, mostly the downtown square and Kirkwood Avenue area and in some of the major apartment complexes, Drake said.

BPD Capt. Joe Qualters said they use various methods of patrol, whether on foot, bike or in a vehicle, usually dictated by the situation.

“We have officers on foot patrol around the bars downtown for purposes of having a presence and the ability to respond to disturbances that occur,” he said. “We can intercept those who might be trying to drive away or walk somewhere while obviously
intoxicated and put them in a cab or have a sober friend ensure they get home safely.”

Qualters said BPD will also be using foot and bike patrol in large apartment complexes and neighborhoods near the stadium where police presence is needed.

Junior Michelle Galanis said she is hoping to avoid the police this weekend by attending smaller parties.

“I’m definitely not going to be on the level this year that I have been other Little 500s,” she said.

Qualters said officers will handle large parties by breaking them up, making arrests and issuing ordinance violations for excessive noise.

“Due to the large volume of calls over Little 500 weekend, our objective will be to take whatever action that can minimize our need to come back and deal with the same type of complaint that sent us there the first time,” Qualters said.

Freshman Jarvis Garrett said he will be enjoying his first Little 500 by partying.
“I’m going to be safe, though, because I’ve heard the rumors about sobriety checkpoints and a lot of police,” Garrett said.

But Drake said BPD does not set up sobriety checkpoints for Little 500 weekend.

“The last several years, things have been a lot calmer because we put on a very visible presence, and most large apartment complexes now have their own security to help control who is allowed in,” Drake said.

The only advice from BPD for the weekend: Don’t engage in illegal behavior.

“Our objective is for people to have a safe Little Five weekend, and that includes the safety of law enforcement and other emergency personnel that are working over the weekend,” Qualters said.