Crime during the weekend was what Penn State Police expected for a Homecoming weekend with nice weather and a football game with a late kickoff, especially one against a school like the University of Michigan, Sgt. Don Hazel said.
"It was a very busy weekend," Hazel said, adding police responded to 104 incidents. "But I don't know if I want to say it was bad."
Hazel said police prepared for the weekend as they prepare for any other weekend with a big football game.
"We were expecting an increase in incidents as we do with any game where there's the hype, and of course with Homecoming, there was a greater influx of people," he said. "When you combine that with the good weather, which is conducive to people partying, it leads to a variety of incidents, compared to if you had a game against, say, Temple ... or if the weather had been pouring down rain."
For every home football game, Hazel said, Penn State Police "beef up" patrol by enlisting the help of 60 to 70 auxiliary officers as well as outside agencies, including Pennsylvania State Police, municipality officers and the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control.
Hazel said police on horses were also on hand in case anyone rushed the field after the game. He said if there is a probability students will rush the field, the athletic department usually makes an announcement over the intercom system and different police squads line the interior of the stadium to prepare for the rush.
During Saturday's game, police lined the east side of the field, as well as the north and south end zone areas.
"If anyone rushes the field, it's usually from the student area," Hazel said.
Hazel said activity was "steady" throughout the weekend and continued into Sunday.
State College Police said they received 302 calls between 4 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Sunday, adding the weekend was not as bad as they thought it would be and Saturday night was "dead" for them.
Police said last year that the 2007 Homecoming weekend was a "normal" Homecoming weekend.
Police said the weekend started slowly, with citations tending more toward traffic violations and vehicular crashes.
