University of Arizona Area, Feb. 2, 11:50 p.m.
An obviously intoxicated individual wandering the UA campus was treated very leniently by two cops who could’ve picked on him for myriad infractions, a UA Police Department report said.
At nearly midnight a couple of patrolling UA police officers saw a white 40-something male with a large beer can walking around campus, “stop(ping) several times to look at bikes”—apparently casing the bike racks for something to steal—and at one point harassing a random person for a cigarette (which he was refused).
The officers continued to watch him as he took a last drink from his can and then threw it on the ground, before starting to scream at a line of vehicles as he stumbled across a street.
When they did approach him, he appeared “extremely intoxicated and confused as to where he was.”
But instead of jailing him, or citing him, for littering or public drunkenness, they gave him warnings (noting that he should “throw away his beer can next time”) and giving him a ride to a local rehabilitation facility where he could sober up.
This article appears in Mar 22-28, 2018.
I find it incongruent that this ‘progressive/humanist’, ahem, newspaper, continues to publish this section that serves only to make it’s readers feel better about themselves, ‘at least I’m not as screwed up as this drunken idiot’. What other purpose can this crap serve? It’s not about the police, you publish too many other articles showing them as fascist, non caring power hungry sociopaths, especially when they deal with the homeless or someone protesting something.
Maybe this is part of the ‘keep tucson shitty movement’….we don’t need jobs, better education, or infrastructure, our citizens are batshit crazy! What other agenda can there be? So stop it, it’s dumb, and boring, we deserve better
As a proud citizen of Tucson born and raised, I take offense as you describe “our citizens are batshit crazy.” I do not denote nor do I disagree with the inconsistencies of how local law enforcement and city officials, manage challenging situations but can’t appreciate your statement about citizens. By your logic you are indicating that you yourself are “batshit crazy” since you are a citizen here in Tucson. Pointing out deficiencies and not offering any type of solution and just complaining is what seems to be the standard nowadays. There is enough hostility in our world and adding to it only makes a situation worse than what it needs to be in my opinion. What I offer as a suggestion is use the passion emanating through your words and volunteer somewhere so you make your presence known in the community and you would not consider your local citizens as “batshit crazy.” All the Tucson natives I know and associate with are all hardworking citizens that want a safe community. We’re all in it together, we all have to do our part.