Anyone who has ever been to a college football game, especially one as hyped as the Penn State and Ohio State rivalry, knows that half of the enjoyment of the day comes from before the game even starts at tailgates outside of the stadium.
On Saturday, while many fans were getting ready for the long-awaited game, they were disrupted by none other than a low-flying Penn State Police helicopter causing chairs, tents, games, grills, and practically small children to go flying through the air. The police later made a statement saying that the purpose was to break up an "unruly" tailgate. When asked at what asked if there were rules in the altitude a helicopter can fly, the response was, "The helicopter can fly at whatever altitude will best accomplish the mission at hand while keeping safety in mind."
But, in reality, is an altitude that sends debris flying through the air where there are thousands of college students, families, children, and fans around really keeping the safety of civilians in mind?
A simple answer to that is no.
Tailgates most definitely have the potential to become a rowdy and dangerous place, but a resolution to this is not causing damage to people's property while putting lives at risk. There were so many better options that Penn State police could have resorted to.
As a Penn State student, I am very disappointed in the way that this situation was handled. I understand that college kids can very easily get out of control, but the police are supposed to help restore order, not further the chaos. People could have been burned by grilled, hit with heavy debris, or even impaled by tent posts. Being that I was at a tailgate and was totally unaware of this incident, I am left baffled that something like this happened. I cannot image the stress and horror of all of the victims, especially of those who were not involved in the "unruly" tailgate.
Not only did the police stop the tailgate that they were aiming to end, but they also ruined many other people's weekend— people who did nothing against any rule or law and just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Another issue that strikes me about this situation is that I saw no more than three cops on Saturday. On the way to our tailgating spot, it was 9 A.M., and only at one place during the long ride on Atherton did I see any police, security, or traffic directors. While tailgating, I never once saw a cop after the security guard initially directed us to our spot.
Rumor had it that the police were not out early in the day because they had a lot of hours ahead of them and appeared to be understaffed. Whether this is accurate or not, I am not sure. However, either way, the behavior employed by those who decided to fly a helicopter over the lot was unacceptable. There were so many better ways to handle the situation.
I understand that a cop was hurt in an attempt to arrest one tailgater, but does that make it worth all the emotional and physical damage a low-flying helicopter did? No.
This poor choice is an example of cops and security not thoroughly thinking about the repercussions of their actions and forgetting to consider the safety of bystanders. We are taught to rely on security officers for our safety, but what are we supposed to do when they are the ones putting us at risk?
