State College, Penn State Police Investigating Large-Scale Apartment Parties
State College and Penn State police are investigating reported large-scale apartment parties that took place on Saturday, October 24, the borough said in a release Monday.
According to their report, police found each gathering lacked proper social distancing and face masks, creating an increased risk for potential coronavirus spread.
“These illegal gatherings put the health, safety and welfare of our community at risk and puts undue strain on the local healthcare system,” the borough said.
State College police said they responded to and dispersed gatherings at Penn Tower, HERE State College, and The Rise apartment complexes Saturday. They found each location had more than 100 individuals gathered without proper distancing, face masks, or precautions — all violating local and state orders.
In conjunction with Penn State’s police, law enforcement is conducting a follow-up investigation to identify those involved with the “illegal gatherings.” Police said they’ll use video recordings to assist in identifying those involved “with the intent of issuing citations for the violation(s).”
Additionally, those found to be Penn State students will be referred to the university for potential sanctions.
“In anticipation of this coming weekend, the State College Borough urge all community members, including PSU students, to take responsibility in keeping our community safe by following local COVID-19 ordinance and other COVID-19 guidelines,” the borough said.
The borough added keeping State College and Penn State safe requires a “collective effort from everyone.”
Some apartment complexes have already taken steps to address Saturday’s reported gatherings. Penn Tower closed its outdoor deck until further notice due to “irresponsible behavior of several hundred persons,” while The Rise said its management will meet with local and university officials to create plans to address parties in the future.
The large-scale gatherings, reported Saturday afternoon, took social media by storm while Penn State football opened its season against Indiana.
Saturday’s reported gatherings came just one day after Pennsylvania recorded 2,219 new coronavirus cases, a record single-day high for the commonwealth. Centre County reported 81 new cases over the weekend, bringing its total to 4,070 since the first case was confirmed in March.
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