Last year's Carnival saw 11 students arrested by Hanover Police in party-related incidents, a small number compared to the previous year's 18. Police also had to deal with the malicious activation of two fire alarms, at least one of which was at a fraternity party, and one case of assault at a fraternity last year.
Anticipating a similarly wild weekend, Safety and Security will increase the number of officers on-duty at any given time by two to four throughout the weekend, adding both extra patrol officers and extra dispatchers, College Proctor Harry Kinne said.
"Our concern for people's safety rises when we have a big weekend just because we have an awful lot more people on campus," Kinne said.
Safety and Security will also man the Carnival's various special events throughout the weekend such as the Polar Bear Swim and the human dogsled race, Kinne said.
Kinne added that the winter temperatures make Safety and Security's job all the more important because anyone who passes out outdoors might remain there undiscovered for the whole night, which could lead to sickness or death due to the cold.
This year's Carnival is the first since the Good Samaritan policy was updated last spring.
The current policy grants impunity for serving or consuming alcohol to those involved in a Good Samaritan call, which consists of a student calling Safety and Security for help with an intoxicated individual.
Kinne said that, although he does not want students to find themselves in situations that require Good Samaritan calls, he hopes to see an increase in such calls on the whole.
"My overall feeling is that the changes in the Good Samaritan policy have made students more comfortable in calling," he said.
Hanover Police, on the other hand, will not take extra measures to safeguard the campus or catch underage drinkers, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone said. The chief added that police have not always noticed an increase in illegal activity during Carnival.
"The past few years have not been any different than what they call an off-weekend," he said.
Although police have many extra officers on duty for Homecoming weekend's bonfire in the fall, Winter Carnival does not have any events that rival the bonfire in danger, Giaccone said.
All in all, Kinne said that the students can play the biggest role in keeping the campus safe.
"Everything in moderation," he said.
