Halloween draws few arrests

By Allison Sundaram

Amid a Halloween with a giggling multitude of dressed-up bunnies and school girls, Santa Clara police made only a handful of arrests this past weekend.

Santa Clara students who celebrated Halloween weekend saw increased patrols from Santa Clara police, but the weekend ended without any major incidents.

One party started -- and ended -- early on Friday with a preemptive strike on what would have been Sigma Pi's 6th-annual "Halloween Havoc."

Police and the Santa Clara city fire marshal arrived two hours before party-goers and told residents of the house not to have the party -- or face severe consequences, possibly including arrest.

According to Deputy Fire Marshall Craig Anderson, who was called out to the scene, the Sigma Pi house had two major fire-code violations.

Authorities ordered the residents to remove highly flammable decorations throughout the property and remove improperly used extension cords.

As Friday night continued, Santa Clara police increased patrols in the university neighborhood.

Most of the night's activity was in the 500 block of Washington Street, police said.

Three arrests were made, two of which were for assaults. Two alcohol citations given out by police by the end of the night.

The third arrest of the evening was a drunk-in-public charge.

During the weekend, police saw quieter and less-rowdy students. Police stepped-up patrols Saturday, did not arrest any university students. Two alcohol citations were reported that evening.

Police arrested three students on Halloween for alcohol violations.

Contact Allison Sundaram at (408) 554-4546 or asundaram@scu.edu.