Dear University of Oregon and Lane Community College students,
Halloween is a time of celebration and exciting activities at the University and LCC. Both schools are planning many events for the Halloween weekend, and you are all invited to attend.
While we know that most University and LCC students drink responsibly, and that many students don’t drink at all, we urge you to remember your obligations as a Eugene community member. From past experience, we have learned that the actions of a few intoxicated or irresponsible individuals can ruin an entire party and threaten the safety of other community members, not to mention create an unfavorable image of college students. As you plan for your weekend, be cooperative with neighbors, police or other persons who may come to discuss any issue of concern. Assist your friends in making sound decisions so situations won’t escalate.
There are a few things you can do if your party gets out of control:
1. Call the police if uninvited guests disrupt your party, or if your guests won’t pay attention to your requests to behave and obey the law. Call before things get too out of control. Police will view your attempt to keep things under control as a good thing.
2. Respond positively if a police officer comes to your house. The officer is most likely responding to a complaint. Make sure the person interacting with the police officer at the front door is sober and responsive to the officer’s requests. Do as much as possible to comply with what the police are asking you to do. Enlist the help of your friends and housemates.
3. Interfering with a police officer makes a bad situation worse. Use common sense and cooperate. Don’t throw bottles at or near police officers. If you have committed a crime and a police officer asks you to identify yourself, you will need to do so. Giving a false name is a separate offense, and will likely worsen what might have been a warning or a citation into a trip to jail.
4. Understand that you can be arrested. A police officer may take someone into custody for any violation of law that carries a potential jail penalty. This includes most state criminal laws and many city ordinances. For some violations, an officer may detain you while verifying your identity and issuing a citation.
5. When a police officer asks you to clear an area, leave right away. If you stick around after the warning to watch what’s going to happen, you may be cited for interfering with a police officer. If police warn that they are going to use tear gas, you need to leave the premises as fast as you can.
We hope you will have a great time this year at Halloween parties. Take extra care to make sure your parties are under control. Thanks for your cooperation and have a great weekend!
Adam Walsh is President of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon
Jeremy Riel is President of the Associated Students of Lane Community College