Although Penn State had an early start this semester, criminal activity was nothing out of the ordinary compared to any typical weekend of the school year, the State College Police Department said.
State College Police received a total of 118 calls between Jan. 10 and Jan. 13. State College Police said this number is down from last semester when police received 213 calls during the first weekend students returned back from break, which was also the first home football game of the semester.
The highest number of offenses was Minor’s Law Violations, with 13 violations, State College Police said, compared to 17 violations last semester. Incidents of public drunkenness were also down with seven incidents reported this past weekend compared to the 12 incidents reported in the fall, State College Police said.
Among the smaller incidents that occurred the first weekend back this semester were two offenses of criminal mischief, one incident of public urination and four DUIs, State College Police said. Last semester, State College Police reported the same number of incidents of criminal mischief and DUIs, but saw a greater number of incidents of public urination with 11 incidents reported.
Penn State Police saw lower numbers of underage drinking this first weekend back than last semester, with six violations reported this semester compared to the 29 they issued in the fall during the first weekend, according to the Penn State University Police and Fire Daily Activity Log.
The weekend of Jan. 10, four students who were reported either observed highly intoxicated or publicly drunk were transported to the hospital, according to the log.
Penn State Police also fielded seven reports of drug-related incidents that occurred on campus, according to the log.
Three of those incidents involved a Residence Assistant or Residence Life Coordinator who detected an odor of marijuana in a dorm, but the origin of the odor was never located, according to the log. Last semester during the first weekend students were back from break,
Penn State Police reported three incidents of students in possession of marijuana, as previously reported.
