Among the myriad of remarks, a prevailing sentiment emerges, questioning the disparity in law enforcement presence between FPD and home football game weekends.
In response to these inquiries, RCPD's Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) drafted a comprehensive report juxtaposing the occurrences during FPD and home Kansas State University (KSU) football game weekends. It is our hope this report will provide clarity amidst the sea of conjecture and assumption and as such will shed light on the stark contrasts between these two events.
The CIU report revealed that within a two-block radius of Aggieville, FPD yields an average of 35.7 crime reports, hereinafter referred to simply as “reports”. This average was computed utilizing the reports from 2017- 2019 and 2022-2024. Meanwhile, home football game weekends, utilizing all home football game data from the years 2021-2023, witnessed a significantly lower average of 6.2 reports. The disparity becomes even more pronounced when examining alcohol-related incidents, with FPD averaging 18 such reports compared to a mere 2.5 reports during football game weekends.
Expanding the scope to encompass all of Riley County, the CIU’s findings remain consistent, with an average of 100.2 crime reports filed on FPD versus 21.2 during home football games. The prevalence of alcohol-related offenses further underscores this differentiation, with FPD accounting for an average of 60 incidents compared to just 4 during football game weekends. Moreover, when excluding alcohol-related offenses, the contrast remains palpable, with an average of 40.2 reports of crime on FPD as opposed to 17.1 on home football game weekends.
While the data collected encompasses the same time frames, that is from 7:00 PM Friday through 6:00 AM Sunday, it bears noting FPD typically extends over a lengthy 20-hour period, characterized by activities that are not conducive to a family-oriented atmosphere. In contrast, home football games offer a more condensed timeframe, prioritizing family-centered experiences. Comparing the two events may seem akin to comparing apples to oranges due to their stark differences in duration and emphasis on family values.
It is imperative to clarify the responsibilities of monitoring the actual football games lie within the purview of the KSU Police Department, distinct from the jurisdiction of RCPD. Consequently, our dataset exclusively encompasses information pertinent to home game weekends that interfaces with our systems. It is plausible that KSU Police may be issuing citations beyond our domain during this period. In that same vein, we do not have the KSU crime data they registered for crimes committed during FPD. Due to these circumstances, we lack the means to definitively ascertain whether such citations would substantially influence the dataset we have compiled or not.
In essence, the data unequivocally illustrates the profound dissimilarity between the atmospheres of Fake Patty’s Day and home KSU football games. While both occasions are imbued with revelry and camaraderie, the statistics reveal a fundamental divergence in the prevalence and severity of criminal activity. RCPD remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring public safety and upholding the peace, leveraging data-driven insights to inform its operational strategies and initiatives.
To see the full report, please visit the FPD page on our website which can be reached at the following address: https://www.rileycountypolice.org/304/Fake-Pattys-Day