The Austin Police Department recorded an increase in DWIs issued in the West Campus area during Roundup last weekend, and the overall number of police reports filed went down slightly.
APD officers addressed concerns with parties at several fraternity houses in West Campus, including ones at Kappa Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Phi Epsilon, according to APD spokesman Anthony Hipolito.
Fourteen police reports for Driving While Intoxicated charges were filed last weekend in Baker sector, which includes the West Campus area, according to Hipolito and police records. During Roundup weekend last year, there were only four DWI reports filed, said Hipolito.
Although the number of DWIs increased, the total number of filed police reports for all offenses did not change much between this year and last year, according to records released by the police. In 2011, there were 167 reports filed in Baker sector and last weekend there were 160.
Civil engineering and Plan II freshman Aliyah McRoberts said she knew of several parties that were shut down on Saturday.
“I was at Kappa Sig when the police busted the party,” McRoberts said. “We were just hanging out waiting for Yung Joc [the artist scheduled to perform at the party] when we saw a helicopter circling over the house. When the cops came storming in, they were holding flashlights and there were lights from the police cars and the helicopter everywhere.”
She said officers filed Minor in Possession charges for some people who were holding drinks but mostly just told attendees to leave.
“Despite it all, I still had a really good time at Roundup,” McRoberts said. “I think that the police were reacting to the person getting stabbed and trying to keep something like that from happening again.”
Hipolito told The Daily Texan on Saturday that an individual was stabbed outside of a fraternity house late Friday night near the intersection of 25th and Leon Streets. He said the victim was taken almost immediately to University Medical Center Brackenridge, and the injuries were not life-threatening. Police have not connected the stabbing to Roundup. As of Saturday, the suspect was not in APD custody, although detectives had some leads and were interviewing witnesses. The detective investigating the stabbing did not return calls for comment.
Journalism sophomore Risa Morris said she observed the aftermath of the stabbing from her apartment window.
“I witnessed a boy lying on the ground surrounded by police, EMTs and bystanders,” Morris said. “I did not see him until I heard the sirens, so I don’t know how long it took for the police to show up.”
Morris said she did not think Roundup was responsible for the stabbing.
“Since it did not happen at any Roundup event — it happened on the side of the road — it did not affect my opinion of Roundup and I continued to attend the rest of the events for the weekend,” Morris said.
Printed on Friday, March 30, 2012 as: Roundup weekend attracts participants despite crimes
