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Another Penn State Underage Drinker Injured After Fall from Balcony

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A 19-year-old engineering student recently fell sixteen feet from the balcony of a State College Apartment building and suffered a broken leg. The State College Police Department suspects that alcohol was involved, which is not surprising in a college town as alcohol and drugs tend to be involved in the… view more

State College DUI Patrol Results in Five Arrests

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In order to enforce Pennsylvania DUI laws in Centre County more aggressively, members of the Ferguson, Patton, and Spring Township police departments recently conducted roving patrols that focused on enforcement of traffic violations. The increased effort led to the issuance of 32 traffic citations, 2 Underage Drinking non-traffic summary citations,… view more

Program Can Reduce Mandatory Sentences in Pennsylvania Drug Cases

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Like many states, Pennsylvania faces prison overcrowding issues, and the problem is being dealt with in two ways: 1) the construction of additional prisons; and 2) the early release of some non-violent offenders. The Pennsylvania legislature passed the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive Act,  commonly referred to as RRRI, to allow… view more

Penn State Students’ Response to Hurricane Sandy – Drink Hurricane Beer, Not Commit Criminal Activity

While some Penn State students took advantage of afternoon classes being canceled due to Hurricane Sandy by purchasing 40 ounce bottles of Hurricane malt liquor, there were no news reports of any increased criminal activity.  Regrettably, news reports have stated that some people in South Brooklyn were involved in looting and fights. Stressful situations sometimes… view more

Would Cardboard Cops Reduce State College Retail Theft Cases?

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I recently read an article that a supermarket in England used a life-sized cardboard cutout of a police officer as a “scarecrow” of sorts to curb retail theft. According to the article, the cutout actually reduced theft incidents by 75%. Not so surprisingly, some practical jokers stole the cutout and… view more

Centre County District Court Starts Program For Veterans

By Jason Dunkle on G+ Centre County Magisterial District Courts are implementing a pre-trial diversionary or pre-adjudicative disposition program for military veterans that have been charged with summary non-traffic violations such as Public Drunkenness,Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Mischief, and Harassment. The Magisterial Veterans Diversion Court program became official as Centre County President Judge Thomas King Kistler… view more