With the weather at Butler University finally warming up, an influx of theft—particularly of bicycles—is occurring.

Five bicycles were reported stolen to Butler University Police Department between March 29 and April 3.

Most recently, a tire off a bicycle outside Ross Hall was stolen on April 12.

BUPD Detective Bruce Allee said despite bicycle theft becoming more common recently, he doesn’t think the number of thefts on campus—of bicycles or other personal items—is much different from the norm.

“We’ve had a couple spikes, and that has made it kind of high profile,” Allee said. “On average, I don’t think we’re that much above (where we normally are). We’ve had those clusters of thefts, which have prompted alerts on campus.”

In addition to the spur of recent bicycle thefts, Allee said electronics thefts at Gallahue Hall and the Pharmacy Building in February also boosted overall theft figures.

As it pertains to bicycles, a majority of the thefts are taking place not near academic buildings but on the north end of campus at Apartment Village and University Terrace.

Allee said BUPD is putting more focus on the area, especially at night. He also said he has basic descriptions of those who may be involved, adding that they do not live on campus and are “pretty active thieves throughout the county.”

It is important for students who have a bike stolen to know two crucial pieces of information if they hope to have it found.

“No serial number (and) no definite timeframe, there’s very little chance of the bike getting recovered,” Allee said.

Butler has not been immune to other thefts and types of crimes this spring, however.

A moped was reported stolen from a house on Berkley Street on April 10, and pocket change totaling less than $2 was stolen from a car the following day.

On April 12, a clarinet was taken from Atherton Union, and on April 14, a purse was snatched from a vehicle.

Additionally, a laptop and an iPhone were stolen from an off-campus residence on March 17, and a gas-powered blower was stolen from one of Butler’s facilities buildings on March 20.

Allee said Butler community members always need to be aware of where their personal belongings are, specifically electronic devices.

“If you wouldn’t leave money lying out, please don’t leave your electronics lying out,” Allee said, “because that’s quick cash for a thief. They have no remorse, (and) they don’t care who it belongs to.”

Theft was an issue at Butler early last spring as well.

According to the university’s crime logs, 21 thefts of varying nature were reported between March 20 and April 12 last year. Only two of those, however, were listed as bicycle thefts.

Allee said one thing that does have him baffled this year is the number of vandalism crimes occurring.

He said the most common vandalism crimes have been side mirrors being broken off cars, graffiti and building windows being broken.

“That one just goes right over my head,” Allee said. “I don’t understand the mentality there.”

Allee said that while Butler students can do certain things to prevent theft, BUPD must also do its part and educate the community.

“A lot of kids, especially who are living off campus, maybe (we can) prepare them better with the information,” Allee said. “That comes back to us. That’s our department.”

Heroin use is on the rise among college-aged people in the Indianapolis area.

According to Butler University Police Department Detective Bruce Allee, heroin is present on Butler’s campus but less than state school campuses.

“The scary thing about heroin is that an experienced addict can appear to be functioning,” Allee said. “They will graduate college and begin careers while suffering from an addiction to heroin.”

Allee, a former detective with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and IMPD Sergeant James Ficus said Indianapolis is a supply hub for heroin. Large quantities of heroin come in from I-70, and people from Bloomington, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati come to Indianapolis to buy heroin.

According to a report by the Indiana State Police, heroin is the second-most-purchased drug by Indiana’s State undercover cops. The same report showed heroin use has increased by 21 percent from 2010 to 2011 in Marion County.

“One common thing is students from Indiana University coming to Indianapolis to buy heroin,” Allee said.

Ficus said the increase in heroin use is partly due to a supply strategy by dealers.

“When heroin was used heavily in the 80s and 90s, it was typically used by Vietnam vets,” Ficus said. “Now, heroin is being produced so that it can be snorted instead of injected. It’s more appealing to people who don’t like needles.”

Ficus said many heroin addicts start out addicted to painkillers.

“Many times, people graduate from painkillers to heroin,” Ficus said. “I’ve seen many people who start out taking Vicodin for a work-related injury, and they become addicted. After some time, painkillers won’t be enough to get them high, and they’ll turn to heroin, which in and of itself is cheaper.”

Both Ficus and Allee also said many people who become heroin addicts begin as a “social abuser.”

A common Internet scam  targeting tutors, babysitters and nannies has reached Butler University.

Butler University Police Department sent out a timely warning email to all students with a brief description of the scam on Feb. 27.

So far two Butler students have had prolonged contact with the scammers, but neither were hurt, said Bruce Allee, BUPD detective.

“This is a huge operation,” Allee said. “Even if these people are lucky and the scam goes through only five percent of the time, they are still making a great deal of money.”

The typical chain of events for this scam begins with an initial contact by someone who says he or she is interested in a service such as tutoring, music or art lessons, babysitting or nannying. The scammer then says he or she is out of the country and is making arrangements for his or her child in the area.

After typical arrangements are made regarding time and pay, the scammer will ask the contact to cash a check worth a few thousand dollars, which is sent to the contact by mail.

The hired person is told to keep his or her pay for the month and is essentially paid up front but is told to give the remaining amount of money to a family member who is watching after the child.

The scam is finished once the check is cashed or withdrawn. The check will turn out to be fraudulent, and the person scammed is then held responsible for the full amount of the check. The “family member” takes the money, and the scam is complete.

“This scam is not new,” Allee said. “It’s just becoming more common.”

Butler student Tomás Montesinos Costa went to BUPD last Monday after he began to question the arrangements made by the father of a girl he was supposed to tutor in Spanish.

Montesinos Costa was approached by a man named “Cally,” who found him on the Butler tutoring listserv.

“Cally” is the typical alias of these scammers, Allee said.

Montesinos Costa thought the situation seemed fairly typical until payment was discussed.

“This person told me he was a father whose daughter was attending school in Indianapolis while he was abroad for a short time,” Montesinos Costa said. “He even tried to make me become sensitive to the situation and their family by telling me sad stories.”

The scammer told Montesinos Costa that his wife had passed away and he “only had his daughter left.”

“He seemed like a very concerned parent,” Montesinos Costa said. “I think he was trying to introduce me to a very complicated and sad situation so that I wouldn’t question too much.”

When the scammer asked Montesinos Costa to cash a $2,600 check, he became suspicious.

The scammer told Montesinos Costa to keep his payment of $575 and give the rest to a “cousin” of the family.

“I didn’t understand at all why someone who had never met me would give me such a large check,” Montesinos Costa said. “When I asked why he couldn’t give me cash or send the check directly to the cousin, he gave me some dumb excuses. At that point, it was so easy to tell that this was a scam.”

Allee said the telltale signs of this scam are the name “Cally,” the strange instructions with money and upfront payment.

“It’s not typical for someone desiring tutoring or babysitting services to pay upfront or in a lump sum, especially before the services have even started,” Allee said.

Allee also said multiple addresses can be a sign of a scam.

“In Montesinos Costa’s case, the person was supposed to be abroad, but the check that was received was sent from New York City and had a San Antonio address on it,” Allee said.

Ben Hunter, executive director of public safety, said this operation is common at colleges all over the nation, so students should always be mindful when applying for a job or dealing with money.

“If a job offer looks too good to be true, it probably is,” Hunter said. “Always check out the references that a job lists, and if it looks suspicious, feel free to contact BUPD. We would be more than happy to investigate to figure things out.”

Montesinos Costa’s advice to any students who think they are being scammed is to avoid dealing with money at all.

“I know I just didn’t feel comfortable with such a big check from a stranger,” Montesinos Costa said.

Montesinos Costa also said he felt BUPD was helpful in dealing with the situation.

“BUPD couldn’t take much action against the scammers because a crime was never officially committed,” Montesinos Costa said, “but they helped me stop contact and prevented the scam from happening to others.

“If any student thinks they may be working with this scam, they should definitely go to BUPD right away.”

In the months following the Sandy Hook shootings, lawmakers have been looking for effective security measures to employ at campuses around the country.
A bill proposed to the Indiana General Assembly would allow college students to carry concealed weapons.
While the bill would not affect Butler because it is a private institution, the bill still raises questions about how campuses are prepared to deal with active shooters.
A slim chance exists that an active shooter could appear on any given campus.
Most students would not know what to do in such an event, said Ben Hunter, executive director of public safety.
“Statistically, most people freeze,” he said. “No one wants to think that that kind of thing can happen.”
The Butler University Police Department conducts full-scale active shooter training in the summer, accompanied by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and residence life staff.
Each BUPD vehicle is equipped with full-body armor and helmets in the event of an emergency, Hunter said.
“I can tell you that every Butler officer would respond with due haste,” said Bill Weber, assistant police chief of operations.
A 20-minute video called “Shots Fired On Campus” can be found on the BUPD website for students who sign in with their “My Butler” username and password.
“The video is one of the best I’ve seen,” Hunter said.
The video was shown at poorly attended events in the past, but Hunter encourages more students to watch so they are prepared in case of emergency.
The video teaches three steps to respond to a shooter: hide out, get out or call out. Much depends on the proximity of the gunman, said Andrew Ryan, assistant police chief of administration.
“You have to do what you can in order to survive,” Weber said.
It is important to be prepared to attack the gunman as a group or to barricade oneself in a room if necessary, Ryan said.
If the gunman is present in the room and it isn’t possible to talk to a 911 dispatcher, leaving an open line still alerts emergency personnel to the situation. They may be able to hear background noise or further investigate any suspicious situation, Weber said.
If exiting is the best solution, make sure to keep both hands in the air. Police are trained to assume that hidden hands could be concealing a weapon.
BUPD plans on communicating important information to students via Dawg Alert, similar to the lockdown.
“Security upgrades are ongoing,” Ryan said. “A long-term plan is necessary.”
Butler is working on a three-year plan to improve campus safety. Some efforts include having card access for all doors so buildings can be locked in case of an emergency and adding security cameras.
“I would like to see more officers on staff,” Ryan said.
Ryan is a member of the Assessment and Care Team, a committee which was formed at Butler shortly after the shooting at Virginia Tech.
The aim of the program is not necessarily to find students that are likely to be shooters, but rather to direct students having performance issues, behavioral issues or issues with BUPD to proper help, Ryan said.
“The resources keep students here and engaged,” Ryan said. “We’re making sure people aren’t missing things.”
Often times, the ACT committee will reach out to students who are missing classes frequently, not engaging much with their peers, or who have just lost a family member or loved one in order to make sure they are receiving the proper support.
Even though student behavior is monitored, students being able to conceal weapons on campus would do more harm than good, Ryan said.
“It’s a tool, but if you don’t practice, how will you be able to react?” he said.
Students would not have adequate training with their weapons, said Weber, who has sometimes used 1,200 bullets during his training.
“Even with that, I don’t hit the target every single time,” he said.
The presence of alcohol, mixed with firearms on campus, would also be a safety concern, Weber said. Students would also be more likely to be careless with their guns, and they may leave them in places where others could potentially find and use them.
“Our ability would be severely hindered,” added Hunter.
Several cases have occurred where, during the chaos of open fire, police have shot other officers who weren’t in uniform, Weber said. If students were added into the mix, shooter descriptions could be confused and someone could needlessly die.

The alcohol task force is discussing possible changes to Butler University’s current alcohol policy.

The current alcohol policy was created in 2002. Irene Stevens, dean of student life, said, since then, the number of hospitalizations due to alcohol, arrests, sexual assaults and summons tickets have increased dramatically.

This school year, seven student arrests have been made. This time last year, only five arrests were made.

Summons tickets are new to Butler, and 34 tickets have been given out this school year between excise police and Butler University Police Department.

“Student affairs and the alcohol task force are concerned with the increases in these areas,” Stevens said. “That’s what has prompted us to change the policy.”

Stevens said the task force’s job is to analyze the culture of campus and decide if the current policy is effective or needs revision.

“The whole purpose of the task force is to look at how we can best encourage students how to be responsible and make good decisions,” Stevens said.

The alcohol task force is comprised of faculty and students, both Greek and independent. The task force itself is divided into two different committees—policy enforcement and education.

Junior Craig Fisher said his role as a Student Government Association representative on the alcohol task force helps give more student perspectives when dealing with possible policy changes.

“My main goal as an SGA representative on the task force is to make sure that student interests are well-represented,” Fisher said. “That’s the goal of all of the students on the task force.”

Fisher said he and the rest of the members of the task force began discussing possible changes to the current alcohol policy over the summer.

“The changes are in response to an increase in statistics of high-risk drinking and alcohol-related incidents.” Fisher said. “We decided that the policy definitely needed to be explored more.”

Fisher and Stevens both said clarity is a major goal for the new policy.

“Right now, I think the alcohol policy on campus is unclear,” Fisher said. “A clearer message is definitely something we want to work towards.”

Stevens said student affairs and the alcohol task force plan on holding many informational sessions with students after the policy is changed.

“We’ll hold meetings with students, forums, and go to SGA,” Stevens said. “We’ll also promote the new policy so that students will have a very good understanding on what exactly the rules are on campus.”

Sophomore Jeff Petty said he thinks increased clarity in the campus alcohol policy would be beneficial to students.

“I would really like to see more consistency with punishments,” Petty said. “It would be great if we students could be made more aware as to what exactly is and isn’t allowed and what will be punished.”

Junior Vinnie Taibi said the presence of excise police especially has created confusion with the drinking policy on campus.

“Right now, people don’t really seem to understand what’s going on as far as excise and punishments are concerned,” Taibi said. “I wish that the school could explain completely and concisely what exactly is going on.”

Stevens said student concerns will be taken into account during the discussion period of policy changes and that students will be asked to contribute their opinions in forums.

The task force plans to have a proposal to the administration ready by January.

An unknown burglar entered the unlocked rooms of Ross Hall residents early Thursday morning.

Five unlawful entries occurred from Thursday to Friday resulting in stolen items, including laptops, iPods, cell phones and money.

Butler University Police Department said no sign of forced entry into Ross has been found; it suspects the thief is a student who lives within the facility.

The crimes are categorized as non-forcible burglaries, which are still felonies in the state of Indiana. The person responsible for these incidents is subject to arrest, even if the incidents are thought to be pranks on other students.

BUPD released a timely warning the same day that the crimes were reported.

The burglar woke up freshman Nicholas Bartolone when he or she entered the room, and the individual immediately left.

“The guy in a black sweatshirt entered my room early in the morning, and he must have been spooked when he saw me,” Bartolone said. “I got lucky because he left without taking anything.”

Freshmen Steven Showstead and Dylan Menefee were not as lucky, both having items stolen.

“I heard the door open, but I thought it was just my roommate, but when I woke up, my phone was gone,” Menefee said. “It’s unfortunate and I miss my phone.”

“The one night I leave my computer and wallet in the middle of the room is the one night this happens,” Showstead said. “I’m pretty pissed off, and I hope BUPD finds them.”

“I think the one thing we’ve all learned is to make sure we lock our doors at night,” Bartolone said.

Bill Weber, assistant police chief, said BUPD has good reason to believe the burglar was a Butler student, but he did not want to compromise the investigation by explaining why.

“This was a crime of opportunity,” Weber said. “You might get away with not locking your door a hundred times, but the next time, it could happen. You know, tag you’re it. You’ve been bit.”

Butler University had more crimes in five of the 17 crime sub-categories listed in Butler’s recently released Comprehensive Combined Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report for 2011.

Forcible sex offenses, liquor law arrests, drug law arrests, drug law violations referred for Student Conduct Actions and forcible burglary at Butler all increased from 2010 to 2011.

The report, which consists of crime statistics from 2009 through 2011, was sent out to the Butler community on Sept. 26.

Crime decreased in five categories and stayed the same in the seven remaining categories.

The most notable decrease was found in the number of liquor law violations referred for SCA, which dropped from 288 to 175.

Sally Click, dean of student services, said she is not very impressed with the decrease in liquor law violations because it changes each year by about 100 cases.

“Unless the drop was really significant, I am not surprised,” Click said. “We just try to be consistent each year in how we handle the violations.”

Ben Hunter, executive director of public safety, said he was pleased with most of the report, except for the rise in forcible sex offenses.

“When it comes to sex offenses, one is too many,” Hunter said. “But one of the reasons there is an increase in the numbers is because in the past the instances wouldn’t always be reported by victim’s choice, but now they must (due to the Clery Act).”

Forcible burglaries rose from 11 to 17 incidences, but Bill Weber, assistant police chief, said that individual cases could distort the statistics.

“If a burglar entered four close rooms while trespassing in an apartment, that is technically five burglaries,” Weber said, “one for the apartment and one for each room.”

“Overall, I am not pleased with the report because any police department would want to see all categories decrease,” Weber said, ”but that’s just not the case.“

“We are also being much more transparent in our reporting because the coverage and classification of crimes (were) broadened by the state of Indiana,” Hunter said. “We now include larcenies in the categories of burglary.”

“That wider net of crimes covered could be the reason for the increase in numbers,” Hunter said, “but crimes are still happening regardless of the change in coverage.”

Greek houses are making an effort to keep student safety a priority.

Student safety starts, quite literally, at the front door.  Among the seven sororities and six fraternities on campus, entrance options range from fobs to keypad codes and even finger scan systems.

Phi Delta Theta, a fraternity on campus, runs on the key code system.

“The expectation is communicated to the men that they don’t give out the passcode,” House Director Thomas Whitcher said.

If people who are not fraternity members find out the house code, the system allows the house manager to change the code at any time.

“We usually change the code twice each semester, and we only give that code to members,” Whitcher said.

Other houses on campus, such as the sorority Alpha Chi Omega, have an entrance controlled by a fingerprint system.  The system was struck by lightning at the beginning of this school year, and was unusable for awhile.

The house has a backup keypad system the members used while the fingerprint system was being fixed.

“Our physical safety is protected by a good security system,” House Director Jody Springer said.

Inside a house, behavioral expectations of its members  and their guests are set in policies within housing contracts between house members and the National Housing Corporation.

Still, members of a Greek house are held accountable for their guests’ actions.

Guests not conducting themselves properly are asked to leave.  In some cases, the Butler University Police Department will have to escort people who do not leave on their own accord.

Fraternities are generally flexible on guest hours while sororities have “boy hours.”

These rules are set in place to make sure that both members and their guests are respecting the quality of the houses.

“There’s a lot of money that goes into these facilities,” Whitcher said.   “The expectation is that we maintain the aesthetics and that we’re not allowing it to deteriorate.”

The Phi Delta Theta facility received a multi-million-dollar renovation that wrapped up in August of 2009 when the fraternity re-opened.

Whitcher said that safety was one of the top concerns throughout the renovations.

Part of the renovation was the addition of new automatic exterior lights.

“It’s to keep the building lit up at night so you’re able to see who’s around the exterior of it, as well as back in the parking areas,” Whitcher said.

Other than front door security systems, aspects of safety in the houses include fire suppression and fire alarm systems.

The upkeep of these systems is monitored by annual fire inspections by a fire marshal, as well as checkups with a local fire service company.  Houses will do fire drills and post escape routes on the walls in each room.

“If you keep everything maintained, you’re less likely to have accidents or injuries,” Springer said.

To help with the outlook of possible misconduct or accidents, Greek houses have an elected student house manager to assist the house director and the executive board with tasks such as maintenance work and proper conduct.

“An important aspect of the job is communicating the conduct of what’s expected,” Alex Curtis, junior Phi Delta Theta house manager, said.   “If we see something going on that’s not really safe, we’ll intervene and stop an issue from getting worse.”

Curtis said he has enjoyed his experience thus far as the house director.

“I definitely learned more in this position than I think I could’ve in any other,” Curtis said.

Curtis has done random maintenance tasks, including pumping water out of the fraternity’s basement last Friday when it flooded.

Little tasks, such as changing a light bulb, are taken care of by a maintenance team in an effort to reduce risk of injury, especially in the sorority houses.

“It seems like such a simple thing, but the biggest claim at the insurance companies is people getting on ladders just to change a light bulb,” Springer said.  “People can fall off the ladder and break their arm.”

Other aspects of safety, such as cleanliness, are also taken into consideration.

Some Greek houses are self- sufficient with their cleaning while others are taken care of by cleaning companies, which work to disinfect the houses on a weekly basis.

Whitcher says that donations from alumni for house renovations and upkeep are a result of the alumni caring about the current members’ experiences in the house.

Springer agrees, adding that the order of the rules set in place is for the benefit of student wellness.

“Maintenance, orderliness and cleanliness are the cornerstones of safety,” Springer said.

Published Aug. 29, 2012

With Indiana officials looking to crack down on underage and high-risk alcohol consumption on college campuses, the atmosphere of Butler University is changing.

An alcohol task force, comprised of Butler students and faculty from numerous departments, was created during the 2011-12 academic year.

Curbing Illegal Drinking on Butler’s Campus
For the start of this academic year, the group has come up with multiple recommendations to help school administrators and the Butler University Police Department curb problem and illegal drinking.

“I think (the task force) is the best type of approach because you’re getting multiple perspectives,” said Levester Johnson, vice president for student affairs. “But it’s most important to involve students because they can take direct ownership of this as well.”

Irene Stevens, dean of student life and co-chair of the task force, said the recommendations made by the task force cover three areas of concern: alcohol education, enforcement of alcohol laws and sanctioning of those who break alcohol laws.

Changes in Policy
However, it is uncertain whether these recommendations are being treated as changes to Butler’s alcohol policy.

Johnson said that changes were being made to the policy while Stevens said the policy itself will be reviewed during this semester and has not yet been changed.

Sarah Barnes Diaz, health education and outreach programs coordinator and co-chair of the task force, said that the confusion lies with the semantics of the phrase “changes to the policy.”

“The recommendations are what we’re now enacting,” Diaz said. “So within that, there are some shifts in policy and some changes in the student handbook.”

Sending the Right Message
Sally Click, dean of student services, said in an email to The Collegian that a major point in the task force’s discussion was the message the university was sending about alcohol.

To that effect, posters are displayed around campus to make clear to all students that the drinking age in Indiana is 21.

Additionally, Stevens said an online module was created to educate new students about alcohol, drugs and sexual assault and that all new students were asked to complete the module prior to the start of classes.

Diaz said the school’s Red Cup Culture program also needed revisions.

“In the past, the focus of Red Cup Culture was very much on the consumption of alcohol being a personal choice,” Diaz said. “It almost sends the wrong message and gives permission, so we sliced some of that out of the video.”

Diaz said members of the task force felt that education on high-risk drinking and alcohol poisoning was necessary as well.

In addition, new students were prohibited from entering Greek houses before Aug. 27 so they would participate in planned Welcome Week activities, Click said.

A member of the Greek community, who wished to remain anonymous because of fraternity policy to limit the members that can speak to the media, said this policy was helpful.

“We can really get to know kids versus putting them in a social scene they’re not familiar with,” the individual said.

Changing How BU Enforces Rules
The task force also made recommendations with regard to enforcement of alcohol laws and changes to sanctioning, but a higher power has also had a hand in making sure laws are being followed.

The Indiana State Excise Police is a unit of the Alcohol Tobacco Commission that sends undercover police officers to Indiana colleges.

When at colleges, the officers can attend parties and other gatherings where underage drinking may be occurring and ask students for a form of identification.

Stevens said she expects the excise police force to be on campus more this academic year than in recent years. This is partly due to the creation of the Intensified College Enforcement program, which is using Indiana’s excise police to try to cut down on underage drinking.

Former governor Mitch Daniels also passed the Indiana Lifeline Law earlier this year.

According to the Indiana Lifeline Coalition’s website, the law provides immunity from some alcohol violations to those who request medical assistance or have it requested for them.

The task force has suggested that BUPD be more consistent in alcohol policy enforcement, in addition to utilizing a summons arrest in appropriate situations.

A summons arrest is a ticket for public intoxication that requires the offender to appear in court, Stevens said.

This differs from an outright arrest, which sees an offender be put in handcuffs by a police offer, and a the more rare warrant arrest, which allows police to arrest a person of interest with regard to a crime.

Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety, said recent alcohol incidents on Indiana campuses are causing BUPD to be stricter in handing on summons arrests.

Hunter said two under-21 students encountered by BUPD last week had ‘extremely high’ blood alcohol content levels and were example cases for a summons arrest. One student was unresponsive and the other suffered injuries from a fall.

“My preference is when we can do a referral because I don’t want to ruin resumes,” Hunter said. “But at the same time, if we find someone with alcohol poisoning or, worst-case scenario, dead, there’s going to be all kinds of scrutiny.”

The alcohol policy section of Butler’s student handbook includes state penalties for specific alcohol-related crimes, which can range from fines up to $1,000 to jail time.

Separate from fines and arrests are sanctions imposed by the university, which have also been altered.

Click said fines for breaking alcohol laws have been rejected in favor of a community restoration project, which involves individuals giving back to the Butler community in some way.

An individual who has a major alcohol violation or accumulates multiple minor ones can also be put on conduct probation, which keeps the individual from participating in Greek recruitment and from holding a number of leadership positions on campus.

Click also said that 75 to 80 percent of student conduct cases over the last several years have involved alcohol or drugs. Some sanctions in those cases included alcohol or drug assessment and attendance at an in-house alcohol seminar.

“I think it’s a really good practice to take stock of where we’re at, and that’s what the task force did,” Diaz said.

Students React to Coming Changes
A level of anxiety seems to be felt by students toward the changes, the Greek member said.

“(The changes) add a layer of fear and pressure,” the individual said. “We’re under pressure to do everything right, but ultimately it’s for our safety.”

While the success of the task force’s recommendations cannot be fully examined until more time has passed, Diaz said she believes the university is handling alcohol issues in the correct manner.

“I’m confident that this is the way to go,” Diaz said. “I think that over time, we can shift the culture away from high-risk drinking.”

Butler parking permits cost $15 more than last year because of a vote by Butler’s parking committee.
The committee vote approved a $75 price tag that will remain frozen for two years.
“If they’re going to raise prices, they should use the money towards helping to manage parking better,” said sophomore Katie Cessna, who brought her car to campus again this year.
The increased fee will help pay for a new parking-related software system to be used in the future.  The police department is choosing between three different types.
The current system is ten years old and outdated, according to Ben Hunter,  chief of staff and executive director of public safety.
“We want to get more green and intuitive,” Hunter said.  “The system we had was not intuitive.”
The new software will help the Butler Police Department give out parking citations more efficiently.
BUPD may hand out citations via  email and a tracking system designed to find cars parked in violation of the 1989 agreement with the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association may be in the works.
The agreement outlines that Butler students cannot park in the surrounding neighborhood, including 44th Street, unless they have a lease in the neighborhood or own a home.
“Sometimes we end up ticketing people that, quite honestly, don’t deserve to be ticketed,” Hunter said.
If faculty, staff and students are associated with the neighborhood but choose not to bring a car on campus, they have a BTNA permit option this year.  This permit is issued at no charge.
“We created a separate permit so it reduces your frustration of seeing that little green envelope on your car,” Hunter said.
Hunter said he hopes that, if the new system works well, there will not be a need for the BTNA permits in the future.
“It [is] something that is important to try out this year to see how it works to reduce the current frustrations we have,” Hunter said.  “It is a learning curve for us, but, at the same time, we have to be cognitive of increasing fees with tuition and other fees.”
BUPD will choose which system works best after this year’s trial run.