Will Halloween plus a football game equal riots?
EUGENE, Ore. — Eugene police are preparing for a rowdy Saturday as the 10th-ranked Oregon Ducks host No. 4 USC on Halloween night.
Officers with the department's "party patrol" will focus on a student-heavy neighborhood just west of campus where drunken riots have occasionally spilled into the streets.
Students rioted near campus on Halloween night in 1997 and 1998. In 2009, with Halloween falling on a Saturday and the Ducks playing a home football game against USC -- the winner of which could be the Pac-10 champion -- there are concerns the Halloween riots will happen again.
In 1998, rioters tore down street signs were torn down. Police arrested 12 people. The scene was a repeat of Halloween 1997, complete with tear gas.
Students anticipate a wild Halloween this year with the Ducks
"If we do get the win, probably be a lot going on, probably going to be a crazy night," said Jake Gregory, a UO junior.
"I just think it's going to be ridiculously crazy after the game on Halloween," said Carson Hickox, a UO senior. "It's going to be crazy after the game. So I'm just going to go home and lay low."
Eugene police will have around 30 officers on the streets that night hoping to prevent things from getting out of hand.
"We'll respond to complaints," said Lt. Scott Fellman with the Eugene Police Department. "We'll be on the streets looking for criminal activity that's happening on the streets. We'll try to address those things before they reach a level where any additional response is necessary."
"We kinda understand what cops do and what they're after," said Gregory, the UO junior. "Understanding what they're going to do helps you regulate yourself, but there are kids out there that will do some dumb stuff."
University and student body officials are planning dozens of on-campus activities from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. as an alternative to off-campus parties.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press)
