As the football team’s home schedule wrapped up Saturday, so did the pregame tailgating and the postgame partying that coincides with it.
Police officials said this football season was comparable to years past on the crime front and officers did not see much out of the ordinary.
The MSU Police Department totaled 311 game-day arrests this past year — many of which were alcohol-related.
This was a slight increase from 2010’s 277 arrests.
MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said there are many factors that come into play when examining the level of activity on game days, including weather, what team MSU is playing and at what time.
With Spartan Stadium hosting MSU’s rivalry game against Michigan as well as two night games — the home-opener against Youngstown State and the homecoming game against Wisconsin — there was increased activity on campus during game days this past season, McGlothian-Taylor said.
“Next season we’ll run into the same thing because it’s always a big deal when Notre Dame plays here,” she said.
“Weather plays a big role, too. I think our weather was good for each game this year.”
In a year that saw new laws go into effect, such as a litter removal ordinance in East Lansing and a state-wide keg registration law, partying in East Lansing was reasonably tame, East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson said
Although the litter ordinance is handled by the Parking and Code Enforcement Department, Johnson said the lawns and streets of East Lansing seemed to be cleaner than in years past.
“The neighborhoods looked cleaner,” he said. “(The city) issued more citations for the party litter. … I think the community did well. We just hope that everyone respects the community they live in and its ordinances.”
Because the keg registration policy went into effect Nov. 1, Johnson said it is too early to tell what effects it has had on partying in the city.
The East Lansing Police Department made 104 arrests during the last four football weekends of this year, compared to 74 arrests during the last four football weekends of 2010.
Political science senior Tommy Garretson said this past football season was similar to last year in terms of pregame partying.
Garretson said he did not think there was much on-campus drinking because so many students, particularly those who are underage, do not want to risk getting a citation or being arrested.
“I think people are pretty conscious about (minor in possession charges),” he said.
“There is a lot more police presence around the stadium, and that affects how people act.”
Staff writer Julia Nagy contributed to this report.
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