This Friday night will bring Halloween costumes, candy and heightened security to campus.
Chief of Public Safety David Barger said there will be more officers on duty during Halloween weekend because officers will be working twelve hour shifts instead of their usual eight hour shifts.
Barger said heightening of security on Halloween weekend is nothing new and something that happens every year.
“[Public Safety is] doing the same thing we do every year to prepare for Halloween weekend,” Barger said. “Halloween falls on a Friday this year which leads right into a weekend so I think we will be looking for more activity occurring more than usual.”
Sophomore Ali Sicbaldi has not noticed in the past when Public Safety heightened security.
“I don’t notice how many Public Safety officers are on main campus on a normal day let alone Halloween weekend,” Sicbaldi said. “It’s funny that they [heightened security] last year and I never noticed.”
Sicbaldi thinks having increased security on campus for Halloween weekend is a good idea.
“The student body can get out of hand and we don’t know how their visitors are going to act either so it is definitely a good idea to have more officers on duty,” Sicbaldi said.
Barger also said shuttles will be running normally into New Haven on Saturday night and that it has always been a “myth” that the express shuttles are shut down for Halloween weekend.
“I don’t know where that rumor came from but it has been around for awhile,” he said. “Shuttles will be running like normal except we only ask students to continue to be aware of their surroundings.”
Barger said the main difference he sees on Halloween weekend is the amount of students getting onto shuttles and the fact students are wearing costumes. He believes the costumes are the reason Public Safety needs to heighten security.
“There have been a number of shootings in the news [worldwide] recently, so we have to be a little more diligent as to who is getting on shuttles and onto campus,” he said. “You’re not dressed in your normal clothing so it can be hard to tell who is a student and who is not.”
Barger believes students need to be cautious while going out on Halloween weekend. He said students need to make sure they are aware of the traffic if they travel off campus and to travel in groups.
“We aren’t worrying about a razor blade in a candied apple anymore,” he said. “Now we have to worry about other issues such as alcohol and drugs. It’s important students know who they are partying with and who they are surrounded by.”
