News
City Officials Discuss Future Of Halloween
By: Susan Tebben | The Athens Messenger
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City officials haven't had much time to process the events of Saturday's Halloween block party, but said there are always ways to learn from the event.
As is normal for the event, weather and how many events are scheduled outside of the block party affect how the party goes.
"There was no home game at (The Ohio State University), there were other events … that typically happen that weekend weren't happening," Athens City Police Chief Tom Pyle said.
While the block party was relatively calm and arrest rates were "comparable" to last year — with the exception of an incident in which a man allegedly fired shots into the air in the middle of Court Street — Pyle said the crowds made for a more active night.
"The feeling that several staff had was that (the event) was a little more violent and that may have been because of the amount of people," Pyle said.
Paula Horan-Moseley, Safety Service Director for the City of Athens, said official discussions on the party would happen in the near future, and the shots fired would be a part of the discussion.
"We've already begun discussion of how (the event) can be more organized," said Paula Horan-Moseley, Safety Service Director for the City of Athens.
As for increasing the number of law enforcement, that might not be possible, Moseley said. More than 50 outside agencies were a part of the event, along with local officers, according to Pyle.
"We've reached our limits for law enforcement," Moseley said, referring to the money spent on extra law enforcement for the night.
Pyle estimated that about $70,000 to $75,000 was spent this year in total to keep the streets safe.
Moseley said the amount of live events, like concerts, happening at the event could change and the timing of the events throughout the night could be among the improvements made to the event.