The Department of Public Safety brought the Providence Police Department’s canine bomb squad to Spring Weekend events in response to the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon, said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for DPS.
The police dogs, which are trained to detect the scent of a variety of bomb-making materials, canvassed the Main Green and the surrounding area Friday and Saturday mornings before the concerts began, and they were stationed at the gate as students arrived to prevent dangerous materials from entering, Shanley said. None were found, he added.
DPS officers made one arrest over the weekend, and it was not connected to the concerts, Shanley said. An intoxicated male student was apprehended after allegedly attempting to punch a DPS officer at the Sharpe Refrectory Saturday during “Fratty in the Ratty.” The student was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer and will face trial in the coming months, Shanley said. The crime is a misdemeanor and a conviction usually results in a fine or up to one year in prison, he added.
A man unaffiliated with the University reported to an officer Saturday that he had been punched in the crowd, but he chose not to pursue assault charges, Shanley said.
The collaboration between DPS, the Office of Student Life and the Office of Residential Life led to low incidence of crime over the weekend, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services.
Shanley said the events of Spring Weekend can lead to an increase in crime. But the numbers have been low the last few years, he said, with no arrests over Spring Weekend last year. He attributed the low numbers to students adhering to safety rules and officers’ increased presence.
“When you mix alcohol and everything else, you are going to get a couple of minor issues,” Shanley said. “But most of the students are fairly well behaved and … there was a lot of hard work that went on behind the scenes to make this event successful in light of what happened in Boston.”
— Additional reporting by Mathias Heller
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