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All was calm on New Year’s Eve

Joel Stonington

Aspen, CO ColoradoASPEN New Year’s Eve saw significantly fewer arrests this year than in past years. Police have concluded that ramping up staffing and getting the word out about increased enforcement worked in calming the often out-of-control event. New Year’s Eve 2005 saw between 25 and 30 arrests; this year there were only 16. Most of those arrests were for nonviolent crimes, including six minors arrested for possession of alcohol, one arrested for criminal mischief and two for driving under the influence. Two assaults were logged on New Year’s Eve, however. In one, a man punched a woman outside the gas station at Cooper Avenue and Galena Street around 3 a.m. She was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries and the man was arrested. “We were busy, but it was the business of a night in town with a lot of people,” said Aspen Police Sgt. Bill Linn. “It was not like New Year’s Eve normally.”He did say the detox area in the old youth center took in a large number of people. Though Aspen police officers only checked in two detox cases, Linn said ambulances brought in at least a dozen others. The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office arrested only one person, for driving under the influence early on the morning of Jan. 1. “We had a pretty good outcome,” said Linn. “It was safe; everyone had a good time.” Joel Stonington’s e-mail address is jstonington@aspentimes.com