Iowa State football games bring in many tailgaters, and alcohol is often present, drawing an increased patrol — roughly 60 officers — at or near Jack Trice Stadium on game days.

During the Baylor vs. Iowa State game Saturday evening, the Iowa State police department’s tailgate teams, called “Tom teams,” went on patrol. They work alongside ISUPD’s “gold teams,” who work in the stadium.  Brody Norton, a worker for ISUPD’s Outreach division, Detective Natasha Greene, an ISUPD policewoman who’s also part of the department’s engagement and inclusion division and Officer Casee Veren, a policewoman for State Center Police Department, were on patrol as a part of one Tom team.

According to Norton, both teams’ goals are to ensure people follow parking and university policies and that no one is making “other dumb decisions” Norton said. They also try to help with personal safety needs, like helping someone who drank too much or someone who passed out.

ISUPD plans its operation months in advance but focuses on preparing for the next game right after the previous game ends. During game days, ISUPD sets up a temporary headquarters at Reiman Gardens because of their partnership, proximity to the stadium and to have a more private place for officers and detainees. At the temporary HQ, departments from nearby locations, such as the State Center Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Story County Police Department, Boone County Police Department and Ames Police Department, assist ISUPD for the day.

Norton describes this collaboration as “a big family reunion,” due to officers getting to see their county counterparts including who they may have worked with in the past at another department or known through the police academy.

On Saturday, 36 charges were given by ISUPD across campus and there were 24 calls for service at Jack Trice Stadium. While the majority of the charges were for underage drinking, both the numbers and the types of charges during game days depend on the day, according to Norton.

These numbers can be viewed on ISUPD’s Crime and Reporting Dashboards.

The ride along

While the Tom teams are out on patrol, tailgaters usually either are delighted to see the police and offer them food and drinks, or turn away and try to hide from them, according to Norton. They are also often requested by the opposing team’s fans to take pictures with them, with the fans posing as if they are being arrested for supporting the other team. 

When they are not responding to calls, they spend much time interacting with the public. Greene said she likes public interaction so they can express feelings of safety. For example, Veren once spoke to a tailgater, who seemed dehydrated, and then offered a water chugging competition with the tailgater.

Not only was this an effort to get the tailgater hydrated, but it was also to show that the officers on duty were friendly. From 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., Greene, Veren and Norton were called to assist with the following: 

• They were told that a group was blocking parking so someone from Mary Greeley Medical Center could park there, they spoke to the individuals involved.
• The team was called with someone having a medical emergency, but it was resolved by the time they got there.
• While driving around, the team stopped someone who appeared to be drinking under the legal age, a citation was given.
• The team was called about potential fighting, with the suspects matching the description of some people they spoke to earlier about blocking parking. When they arrived, the suspects were gone with no one seeming to know where they headed.

In the stadium

Inside the stadium, there are officers stationed alongside BEST Crowd Management guards. Their presence in certain areas during the game depends on where they are more likely to be needed. For example, several officers are stationed at Sukup Endzone Club due to an open bar. The student section is next to the Sukup section, and a BEST security guard is posted between them to prevent students from crossing over and attempting to get alcohol inside.

Norton wanted students to know about the following resources: the Iowa State Safe app, ISUPD’s non-emergency number (515) 294-4428 and ISUPD’s outreach email [email protected].