From traffic accidents to alcohol violations – The Daily Evergreen

The second week of the school year, curriculum week, has ended without a decrease in calls to the Pullman Police Department.

The Christmas week was full of noise complaints, car or traffic problems and alcohol-related calls. However, the department received only 90 calls, which is 17 fewer than the 107 calls last year, said Aaron Breshears, chief of operations for the Pullman Police Department.

About nine alcohol-related cases were reported on Greek Row, ranging from sick and drunk people going to Pullman Regional Hospital to people calling the police because a bar didn't accept their ID.

EMS responded to medical calls related to alcohol and drug overdoses, uninvolved third-party issues, injuries and pre-existing conditions that caused medical problems requiring ambulance response, Breshears said.

Accordingly PPD protocolsAn unconscious person from the Delta Delta Delta fraternity was transported to Pullman Regional Hospital.

However, there is one offense that Breshears says he is most concerned about: opioid overdose.

“I know that there have been facilities within the university and in Greeks that have administered Narcan to students in cases of accidental overdose. I think that's a solution to the symptom, but it doesn't solve the problem,” he said.

The most surprising problem of the past weekend, however, was traffic violations. There were at least 15 calls to the PPD regarding car or traffic problems.

Breshears said the influx of students in Pullman during the school year leads to hit-and-runs, parking problems and even vandalism.

Someone called the PPD and said someone had thrown food scraps over their car and dented it. This happened on California Street where A Street joins, which is surrounded by Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Sigma Chi.

One of the big problems that comes up every week is noise complaints. This weekend there were about 11 noise complaints filed throughout Greek Row. In most cases it was about loud music coming from houses and parties.

There is a noise ordinance in Pullman; if someone lives in a residential area, neighbors can complain about electronically amplified noise 24 hours a day and about human voices from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., Breshears said.

“Our response is generally to contact the person responsible for the noise and try to get them to comply with the City of Pullman noise ordinance and be considerate of their neighbors,” Breshears said.

Officials usually let people off with a warning, but if the problem persists, residents can be fined about $1,000, he said.

“It is in people’s interest to strictly comply with the noise ordinance and to be considerate of their neighbors,” Breshears said.

There were also calls about, for example, Emporium refusing entry to people whose ID looked invalid. It was.

According to the relevant PPD protocolThe officer responded and informed the individual that the ID appeared to be authentic, but that asking police to produce a license to gain entry to a bar was not a valid criminal purpose. The officer suggested they try another bar.

Breshears said that when responding to such calls, they want to make sure they can prevent any escalation, but some issues are simply beyond their control.

“If a company wants to deny someone access, that is the company’s prerogative,” he said.

When problems arise, the PPD tries to keep officers on College Hill and Greek Row for as long as possible in highly visible, proactive patrols.

Breshears' most important message to students is: take care of yourselves.

“You're at a great university and you're going to have a great experience. Make good choices, Pullman is a great place,” he said. “If you make good choices, you're going to have a great experience here. If you engage in risky behavior, you increase the risk of something bad happening to you.”