Editor’s note: The original photo was replaced with the visual above.

The Pullman Police Department received 238 service calls between Aug. 25 and Sept. 1. 

Fewer calls were made than normally expected at this time in the year, said Garrett Willis, College Hill beat officer. However, Willis does not believe activity decreased. 

Before the start of syllabus week, the increase in calls was largely due to service calls — such as noise complaints — and not crimes, said Jake Opgenorth, Pullman PD operations commander. 

Opgenorth said the rise is to be expected with the population increasing so quickly. 

Pullman PD expects high-traffic weekends, such as syllabus or homecoming week, to be busier for them and prepares accordingly, Opgenorth said. More officers work patrol and focus on making good contact with community members and spotting potential safety hazards. 

Willis said he has seen less activity on weekdays following the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic’s decision to only allow social events Thursday through Saturday. Stubblefields’ closing also helped to decrease the number of late-night incidents. 

“I did notice Thursday through Saturday of last week there was definitely an uptake as far as people out and about,” Willis said. “Kind of more what we would consider a normal fall in Pullman.” 

Moving forward, Opgenorth and Willis stressed the importance of being aware of resources and staying safe if choosing to partake in drinking or drugs. 

Pullman PD and WSU both provide excellent resources for those in need of any help, Willis said. Counseling services and hotlines are always available to those who may have gone through something traumatic, and those phone numbers are available at the police station. 

Willis and Opgenorth said the Good Samaritan law is there to protect bystanders who call 911 for someone in need.

Once you consider calling 911, you know it is time to make that call, Willis said. 

He said to monitor someone if they are vomiting regularly and are unable to stay conscious. The person should be kept in a recovery position on their side until first responders arrive. 

“Don’t hesitate to call for help if somebody did have too much to drink because all we’re worried about is making sure everybody is safe,” Opgenorth said. “We’re not going to punish anybody, and in fact, we can’t because of the Good Samaritan laws.”

Willis said having a one to six ratio of who stays sober to who chooses not to and traveling in groups or pairs are good preventative measures. These help to decrease the chances of easily preventable incidents, such as people falling or being unable to get home. 

Moderation is important, especially in these first few weeks, Willis said.

“Have fun, but do things in moderation,” he said. “There’s a lot of fun times, but ultimately you’re not going to have any of that fun if something bad happens.” 

Pullman PD safety resources can be found on its website.