The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Students get Busted

“As most students have undoubtedly heard, the University of Akron has been Busted.  Last weekend, MTV’s fledgling carbon copy of Cops rode along with the Akron Police Department as it joined the UAPD and the Summit County Sherriff for a strict enforcement weekend in the student neighborhood south of Exchange St.”

As most students have undoubtedly heard, the University of Akron has been Busted. 

Last weekend, MTV’s fledgling carbon copy of Cops rode along with the Akron Police Department as it joined the UAPD and the Summit County Sherriff for a strict enforcement weekend in the student neighborhood south of Exchange St.

All in all, police made 53 arrests (21 of which were students) making a total of 85 charges on both Friday and Saturday nights.

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According to UAPD Assistant Chief Newt Engle, MTV approached the University several weeks ago to ask permission to follow University police officers on patrol.  Having nothing to gain from the camera crews, UA respectfully declined the offer.

Intent upon filming the party life of Akron, MTV then contacted the Akron Police Department, which promptly allowed the Busted crews to ride in its squad cars during a two-day, multi-unit crackdown on excessive student parties.

Strict enforcement weekends are nothing new to resilient Akron upperclass students.  Periodically, the University, city and county police departments all assemble a task force to enforce the underage drinking and open container laws that are often broken with gusto on any given weekend.

When school starts, we try and get the students to understand that if they party, they have to do it responsibly, said Engle.

The thing that turned heads on Friday and Saturday nights was not the crackdown but the camera crews recording everything.

Busted, according to MTV.com, is a half-hour reality show that documents the crimes these knuckleheads thought they could get away with, and what kind of serious consequences they will have to face.

Having camera crews wandering through the neighborhood seemed only to add to the usual confusion of weekend nights near campus.

The University police, however, say they were unfazed.

We work on the premise that, right now, there’s a camera somewhere, Engle explained.  It does not change the way we operate.

Student Nick McElravy happened to be at a party on Gage St. when 7 squad cars and SUVs arrived to break it up.  According to McElravy, officers walked inside the house without asking and ordered the 150 students present to leave.

Only one student was arrested at the party, and McElravy signed a waiver allowing MTV to use the footage it had collected.  They paid him $100 for his signature.

Alex Mertz, who lives on Cross Ct; said that six police cars arrived both nights to disperse the partygoers.

They just started testing people and everything, he said.  It’s ridiculous.  I’m just trying to remember it all.

The task force also showed up to Huntington St. where Ryan Connell and Jeremy Petros rent a house with three other students.

Ryan, who had just returned from working late, was the only owner who was still at the house (and sober) when police arrived.

When I came down to talk to the officers, there were two kids that they had in handcuffs sitting on my porch.  Across the street, there were like five to seven more, he recalled.

I came downstairs and the police were on my front porch with the film crew, asking me questions about the party and why there were so many people there.

MTV asked him to sign a waiver as well, offering in return a crisp straight-up $100 bill.

Connell said that MTV will return in several weeks to conduct follow-up interviews and take more footage of the house.

To Connell, the situation was more surreal than anything else.

For MTV to come to Akron, Ohio, it being a [nationally broadcasted] show, I guess it’s pretty cool, he said.

An anonymous tip from the UAPD informed the Buchtelite that Busted crews will be in town this weekend as well.  It usually takes seven days of filming to gather enough footage to put together one show.

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