Halloween in a college town such as College Station can translate into surges or drops in crime depending on the football schedule, said College Station Police department officers.
Every year Halloween has a slightly different effect on College Station. The population varies every Halloween weekend depending on whether or not there is a home game. During away games the crowds and the crime drop, and vise versa, said College Station Police Department Lt. Steve Brock.
“This year Halloween is on Saturday and Texas A&M happens to be playing South Carolina, so just for the mere fact that there will be more people in town to attend that game would suggest that there is going to be more calls for service, and more people in the Northgate area — more people in town in general means more arrests,” Brock said.
Halloween is a popular event at Northgate, which opens up opportunities for people to act differently than they usually would, Brock said.
“Often times Halloween allows people to lower their inhibitions,” Brock said. “In other words they dress up, wear masks, get into character and may act in a way that is not reflective of their normal day to day demeanor.”
University Police Department Lt. Allan Baron said it is important to try to stay safe during Halloween weekend since the holiday falls both on a Saturday and an SEC home game.
“Students can expect to see officers actively patrolling the campus and enforcing alcohol violations throughout the weekend,” Baron said.
In addition, UPD will increase the number of officers patrolling the Northgate District to keep crime to a minimum on Halloween.
“We also ensure there is as much coverage throughout the city as possible, not just Northgate,” Baron said. “Our coverage lasts all night and through the early morning hours. Our officers are always mindful of when the bars close to be on the lookout for intoxicated drivers.”
While the local police departments will do all they can to keep the community safe, it is each individual’s responsibility to make their own safety a priority this Halloween, Brock said.
“The College Station Police Department encourages patrons of the Northgate Entertainment District and those attending Halloween parties to designate a driver,” Brock said. “This doesn’t mean a person that drinks less than others, but one that doesn’t drink at all.”