Bethlehem, PA
Shortly after the monumental upset of Duke by the Lehigh University Men's Basketball Team in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, the campus and surrounding areas erupted in celebration. Students poured into the streets, chanting and celebrating their victory.Bethlehem and Lehigh University Police Officers responded and cautioned the revelers to keep their expression to a reasonable level so that all may enjoy a good time without anyone getting hurt. Bethlehem Police officers were directed to allow the students to celebrate and to only intervene if there was a potential for injury or property damage.
Until 3am, both Bethlehem and Lehigh police had a large amount of officers on duty to deal with any potential problems. Officers were very tolerant and the students largely conducted themselves in a respectful manner. Bethlehem Police officers only made a total of six arrests on the South Side for incidents relating to Lehigh students. All of the offenses were minor in nature and included underage drinking and public intoxication.
We would like to express our gratitude to the thousands of Lehigh students who celebrated this victory with class.
