Friday night South Bend police arrested 23 students, as we all know very well. What many of us who just read The Observer for their daily news may not know is what else has been going on in the South Bend community. Let me paint you a picture.
Last Wednesday, while we were attending, or not attending as it may be, our second day of classes, a hotel clerk and a local Subway were both robbed at gunpoint. Late Thursday night, while many of us were at Fever, the Domino's on Edison road, the Domino's that is just blocks from where I live and is literally 100 yards from the outskirts of campus, was robbed at gunpoint. On Friday night, two different people were robbed at gunpoint walking around in South Bend. A man was arrested on charges of felony robbery, trespassing and resisting arrest, which also occurred on Friday night. On Saturday afternoon a Chinese restaurant was also, you guessed it, robbed at gunpoint and two women were shot at while walking around in South Bend.
Now, somehow, the South Bend police department decided that going to a college house party and arresting 23 Notre Dame and Saint Mary's students for underage drinking on Friday night was a good use of their time. This makes sense because, as we all know, underage drinking is just as dangerous as armed robbery or felony trespassing. Perhaps the South Bend police should find a better use for their time. The Notre Dame community, faculty and staff who live in the South Bend area should be outraged by this blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars and obvious disregard for public safety.
If you are looking for something to do on Saturday before the Purdue game, remember this. The South Bend police will be out and about, busting up off-campus tailgates and ticketing underage drinkers. But those out robbing local business and shooting members of the South Bend community will have no problems, seeing as the majority of the police force will be localized to combat to the largest threat to the community — underage drinkers.
Joe Deters
senior
off campus
Aug. 30
