OU Crime Watch: Marijuana citations and public intoxication galore

The first two weeks of fall semester consisted of new students adjusting to living on campus, returning students adjusting to new courses and the Ohio University Police Department getting readjusted to issuing citations. Since students began moving in Aug. 18, the number of drug- and alcohol-related citations and arrests have increased, as have reports of harassment and sexual misconduct. In the past 15 days, OUPD has issued 30 citations for possession of marijuana and seven for possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia. During the same time span, OUPD also issued citations to 11 people for underage consumption and intoxication, six of whom were transported to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. There was also one citation issued for open containers and 12 for disorderly conduct by intoxication. One student was arrested, and two were sent to Athens Police Department mass booking. OUPD call logs report that four fictitious or altered identification cards were discovered or confiscated since Aug. 18, and one man was cited for public urination on Mill Street. On Aug. 21, complainants reported at 9:56 a.m. that an unwelcome person entered the Yamada House, used the restroom and vomited in several different places in the building. The suspect has not been apprehended at the time of publication. A few days later, an “Ohio University student reported an unknown male solicited her for sexual activity while walking in the area of South Green” on Aug. 25 around 7:20 p.m., according to OUPD call logs. Between Aug. 26 and Aug. 29, OUPD received four reports of telecommunications harassment ranging from threatening Facebook messages to an ex-boyfriend allegedly stalking his former girlfriend. All reports, aside from citations and arrests, are under investigation by OUPD at the time of publication.