October 31, 2021
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Chico law enforcement attempting to avoid violent "Chicoween" seen in years past - KRCRTV.COM

Outside the Chico State University Police Department, located in between Downtown Chico and the South Campus community of the university. (KRCR)
Outside the Chico State University Police Department, located in between Downtown Chico and the South Campus community of the university. (KRCR)

CHICO, Calif. — Hallows Eve has arrived, better known as “Chicoween” near Chico State University and Downtown.

The end of October gives another reason for Chico’s college community to party hard. Students say they’ve been doing so all weekend. Based on past experience, however, some are trying not to party too hard.

Hundreds of Chico college students wait to enter the popular bar Riley's Bar & Grill Halloween morning. (KRCR)

“I’m not really thinking that we’re going to make it that far tonight,” says Chico State student Nicole McCarthy, standing in line for Riley’s Bar & Grill Sunday Morning.

Yeah, Halloween is scary here,” Kelsie Chase replied, waiting with McCarthy. “Out-of-towners come and people get, like, shot.

Shootings have consistently been seen in the city for multiple Halloweens in the past 10 years. In 2016, the Chico Police Department arrested 53 people and issued 59 citations during its four-day Halloween enforcement period. In 2018, those numbers shifted to 25 arrests and 141 citations. The pandemic eased these numbers in 2020 to 26 arrests and 17 citations.

Chico Police officers on duty in mid-2020. (KRCR)

These are concerns Chico Police and University Police at Chico State hear and are addressing. University Police Sergeant Joe Deal says double the police staff are working through Monday morning around campus.

“In years past there’s been a history of people coming from out of town to celebrate and party in Chico. I don’t know what the numbers are when it comes to that right now. I know our numbers are down based upon COVID and this year," says Deal, working in the University Police Office located in between Downtown and Chico State.

Outside the Chico State University Police Department, located in between Downtown Chico and the South Campus community of the university. (KRCR)

Chico PD will be around Sunday night too, but partiers may not see them. They say patrol will be on foot and on wheels, both marked and unmarked. In an email reply to KRCR, they say:

This weekend the Chico Police Department has our Halloween Operations Plan in place through tomorrow morning and we are coordinating with BCSO (Butte County Sheriff’s Office), Chico State PD, CHP (California Highway Patrol), ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) and County Probation and Parole There will be zero tolerance for open containers in the City of Chico, minors in possession of alcohol and driving under the influence.
The parameters of the "Glass-Free Zone" in effect until Monday morning. (Chico Police Department)

A glass-free ordinance remains in effect until Monday morning to limit the dangers to intoxicated persons. The parameters are from the Big Chico Creek to E. 7th Street and Cedar to Flume Streets. This contains the Downtown and the South Campus communities.

So far this weekend, however, enforcement says patrols have been calm. Especially compared to years past, they are hoping the calmness continues through Sunday night.

“There’s a lot of people that are out. There’s a lot of people that are celebrating and stuff, but it’s very refreshing to see that they’re doing it in a safe manner," says Deal.



source: https://krcrtv.com/news/local/chico-law-enforcement-attempting-to-avoid-violent-chicoween-seen-in-years-past

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