Albemarle Police Capt. Crystal Limerick and members of the student group Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team provided information about security changes for the upcoming Foxfield Races to students last night.
ADAPT chair Laura Clark told students about services that will be available at the races, including a tent providing food and water to designated drivers and a safety tent where students can receive medical aid.
Limerick spoke about the increased police presence for the event, which resulted partially from a "significant trend" toward dangerous behavior including binge drinking in past years, she said.
Limerick noted that more than 200 uniformed and undercover police officers will be present at the event from the Albemarle, Charlottesville, University and state police departments. Alcohol and Beverage Control officers and drug agents will also be present, Limerick added.
Drinking and driving will be monitored by state police, Limerick said.
"They don't care if they stop traffic on Barracks Road for five hours before or after the event to conduct checks of drivers," Limerick said.
Limerick also added that the number of incidents of public urination will hopefully decrease this year following Foxfield's decision to double the number of portable toilets available.
Limerick said there will be a zero tolerance policy for underage drinking at the races, but police will not actively search for underage students who are drinking. Students who attract police attention through actions such as falling down, stumbling or trying to start a fight will be arrested for public intoxication.
"If you have a beer in your hand, you're behaving, and you look like you're over 21, nobody is going to come up and start hassling you," Limerick said. "If you do not draw attention to yourself by your actions or your voice, you're not going to have the unwanted attention of people."
Limerick added that while buses are available for transportation, intoxicated students should not ride the buses to the races.
"If you're wasted when you get on that bus, when that bus gets to those grounds, you're going to be arrested," she said.
A video link will allow arrested students to appear before a magistrate within 15 minutes of their arrest, Limerick said.
In the past, a private security company hired by Foxfield has been partially responsible for maintaining order at the event, but this year, the company will only provide assistance with parking because of an excessive use of force in the past, Limerick explained.
"We got more 911 calls about some of the actions being taken by the security group than by people causing the [alcohol-related] problems," she said, citing, for example, the company's "indiscriminate use of pepper spray in mass."
Limerick said the goal of police is not to discourage students from having a good time at the races.
"We want [Foxfield] to continue to put on a great event that's a lot of fun to go to in the spring," Limerick said.
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