Forty-three people were arrested in August for public intoxication in Iowa City, according to the Iowa City police blotter. An additional 19 people were arrested for operating while intoxicated, each arrest costing the city time, money, and effort.
I’ve been working nights downtown for the past year, currently at Summit, and the walks home are always the most memorable part of my shift. Intoxicated people spill out of the bars and into the Pedestrian Mall, waiting in long lines for food they’ll only remember when their heads are hanging over the toilet the next morning. I’ve seen people beaten in the open, people berated all the way home by their furious partners, and vomit — vomit everywhere.
Law enforcement is often stationed at various strategic points to keep the crowds in line, generally looking about as excited to be serving the community as the people they drag to the drunk tank. I can’t imagine arresting volatile, drunk people is their favorite idea of serving the community…