Criminal activity is pretty common in East Lansing during the school year when roughly 50,000 students are in the area for classes. Most crimes that occur are minor offenses, such as drug use and underage drinking. However, more severe crimes, including sexual assault, are not uncommon during the fall and spring semesters. These types of crimes tend to dwindle in the summertime when there are significantly less students in the area.

“We’re a little less busy in the summer than when we are when there are 45,000 kids going to school. I think that’s a fair statement,” Scott Wriggelsworth, a Detective Lieutenant for East Lansing Police Department, said. “We get a little bit different types of crime in the summer, but the weather is a factor, and people are also going on vacation.”

Between the first three to four weeks of MSU’s summer semester, the ELPD experiences a lull in crimes reported. However, once nearby high schools go on summer break, the city experiences a small spike in criminal activity throughout the rest of the season, mostly in the downtown area. Most of the crimes caused by high school students are curfew violations and minor theft. MSU’s spring semester officially ended May 6. East Lansing Public Schools are in session until June 10.

Wriggelsworth said The City of East Lansing and ELPD try to make the city a family-friendly environment in the summer with festivals and activities, including the East Lansing Art Festival. Nevertheless, these activities do not always prevent people from committing crimes, as was witnessed this past weekend. 

This isn’t the first time artwork has been stolen during the East Lansing Art Festival, an event located near several bars and liquor stores and also known for its high foot traffic day and night.

“We have a large clientele visiting East Lansing in the summertime,” Wriggelsworth said. “It doesn’t make it completely crime-free.”