UD “Block Party” Shut Down After Multiple Arrests
Photo via @universityofDayton Instagram
TJ Thompson | Editor-in-Chief
DAYTON- A large crowd on Kiefaber Street and a shots-fired call late Sunday night resulted in the arrest of several individuals near the University of Dayton campus.
Three-day weekends are rare at the University of Dayton, so students seize the opportunity to celebrate through Monday morning. This has become a tradition at UD, and the school is aware. Early Sunday afternoon, the University issued a statement to students saying, “Large gatherings may draw unsafe activity. Avoid crowds, stay alert.”
The university had most streets in the student neighborhood blocked off all weekend in preparation for the event and to prevent students from parking their cars on the roads. These precautions, though necessary, did not stop the event, and as the sun set, Kiefaber Street was filled with Dayton and non-Dayton students.
UD then sent out another message to students telling them to “be aware of your surroundings.” An hour later, the University sent out a message saying the police were going to be clearing the street due to “an increase in incidents.” A Dayton spokesperson said one non-student was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Students returned home as an armored police truck, flanked by officers on bikes, went down Kiefaber, warning that non-cooperative individuals could be arrested. That’s when a large group of non-students moved toward Brown Street.
Just before midnight on Sunday, UD sent out another message to students advising them to stay away from Brown Street because shots had been fired. Police reported that 19-year-old Jayshawn Smith was detained after allegedly firing a gun into the air. Dayton Police stated that officers arrested six more people on disorderly conduct charges.
After the event, a UD spokesperson told WHIO, “University of Dayton police, in cooperation with the Dayton Police Department, communicated safe information to students, who were cooperative and followed directions to leave the streets and return to their residences.”
This has become a common problem in recent years during Labor Day weekend at the University of Dayton. Just last year, two arrests occurred during the Labor Day “block party” after a gun was allegedly pulled, causing chaos on Kiefaber Street.
Many students wonder if we will be able to celebrate together as a true University of Dayton community. The increased police presence has made the event safer, but it hasn’t reduced the number of arrests, which have risen compared to last year. “Block parties” are not ending anytime soon at UD, so changes will be necessary—whether those changes come from the students or from higher up.