Pamela Bump
Equinox Staff
Campus Safety and Keene Police Department began their preparations for the recent Pumpkin Fest the day after last year’s festivities ended, according to Amanda Warman, the Director of Campus Safety.
Warman said that this meeting between officers occurs similarly every year. “We meet and discuss what went well, what did not go well and lessons learned to prepare for the next year of Pumpkin Fest,” Warman said. Warman stated some of the major planning involved assigning where the KSC community could find parking, figuring out where officers would be assigned and other administrative areas.
Warman explained that no major changes in Campus Safety’s policies had occurred for this year’s festival and indicated that the KSC Residential Life office’s decision to limit KSC students to one guest each did not involve Campus Safety.
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“Another major portion of our preparation is receiving and getting out certain information,” Warman added. Warman said Campus Safety makes an effort to report parking information as well as other important information to students, while collecting information themselves about all the events occurring during the weekend ahead of time. Warman continued, “We need to make sure student employees can get on to campus to work during the weekend.”
Despite rumors of the appearance of KPD’s BearCat, the Liaison between Campus Safety and the Keene Police Department, Officer Katie Corbett, said that the Bearcat would, “Not be making an appearance at Pumpkin Fest.” Corbett also said that KPD does not yet have a time frame on when the BearCat will come to Keene.
Although the BearCat will not be at the event, both Corbett and Warman indicated that KPD and Campus Safety would be using on campus assistance from four University of New Hampshire officers, acting in place of KPD if needed on campus. Warman said, “Keene has been assisted by UNH officers for five or six years now.” Before the festival begins UNH and KPD officers meet to make sure the two police departments are “on the same page,” according to Warman. For example Warman explained that, “If UNH officers make any arrests they know how to get that to the Keene police.”
Warman added the use of UNH officers was helpful for both Campus Safety and KPD. Warman said, “The KPD has been busy in other places, which is why we brought in officers from UNH. They’re supplementing the place of KPD on campus as the KPD has to manage the rest of the city.” Corbett said, “Two of the biggest issues we see usually involve crowding and the influence of alcohol.”
Corbett continued, “There will be no sobriety checkpoints,” but there would be one to two KPD officers on each major street to oversee the festivities. Corbett said, “We have the officers spread out all over to oversee things.” Corbett added, “We hope that will influence people in a positive way.”
The Keene Police Department has also been in touch with houses that have registered parties in advance. The officers at KPD requested for the registered party houses to quiet and slow down around 8p.m. on Saturday night, according to Corbett. Corbett said, “We have talked to a lot of people who seem to be cooperative with this request.” According to recent reports from the Keene Sentinel, the areas of Main Street where the Festival occurred were less littered with smashed pumpkins and trash by midnight than in previous years, where people often smashed left over pumpkins on the ground. Police vehicles also kept watch on Main Street as a contest to clean up the street took place.
Although the KPD and Campus Safety are enforcing rules, both Corbett and Warman both said that they were for the best interest of the people.
Warman said that besides the usual incidents often involving noise or alcohol on campus, nothing unexpected has happened in recent years’ Pumpkin Fest. Warman said, “It’s just a really busy time, but we want people to be safe and we want people to have a good time.”
Pamela Bump can be contacted at pbump@keene-equinox.com