After Matt Flynn completed the game-winning touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd Oct. 20 defeating Auburn University, George Handal, mass communication junior, was in party mode. And when he left Tiger Stadium with 90,000 other celebrating fans, Handal was ready to drink a beer before heading to the bars – whether it was his beer or not. Handal said when he leaves Death Valley after a victorious football game, he often gets a five-fingered discount on beer, compliments of unsuspecting tailgaters who left an ice chest of cold brew unattended. “I think, ‘We won. Let’s celebrate,'” Handal said. “And I want a beer – if I can find one.” Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, LSUPD spokesperson, said some tailgating fans have more than just beer stolen. He said the items stolen from unattended tailgates are mostly chairs and ice chests containing food and beverages. “On an average, we see approximately one arrest per game,” Rabalais said in an e-mail. “For the Auburn [v.] LSU game, there were no arrest regarding thefts from tailgate areas. As a majority, these items are unattended and unsecure.” Rabalais said theft from unattended tailgates occurs most often in public parking areas and happens in different areas across campus. He said the number of arrests related to this type of theft has remained fairly constant throughout recent years. Handal said when he bags a beer from someone else’s ice chest, it’s different than looting an entire tailgate. He said taking a beer is not as big of a deal as taking more valuable and resuable items, such as ice chests and chairs. He said he’s aware of some fans who take multiple items from unattended tailgates. Rabalais said he thinks instances in which tailgaters have items stolen are typically unreported. He said theft from tailgates does not appear to be a big problem on campus because there is a large number of tailgaters present and a low number of reported instances. “We have officers in parking lots and on rooftops watching for criminal activity,” Rabalais said. “There are many times that arrests are made regarding this type of activity. What you have to understand is that we have [more than] 40,000 vehicles with nearly 150,000 people. If someone is walking with an ice chest or lawn chair, it is virtually impossible to know if it is theirs or if it is stolen.” Rabalais said people caught stealing items from tailgates are typically charged with theft. If the dollar value of stolen items is less than $300, the perpetrator may face up to six months prison time and a fine of $1,000. If the value is between $300 and $500, the sentence can include no more than two years in prison and a $2,000 fine. And if the stolen goods’ worth exceeds $500, there is a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and may include a $3,000 fine. Kasey Hardy, sociology junior, said he thinks people often steal items from unattended tailgates. He said a friend lost $300 to $400 worth of tailgating items – including ice chests, alcohol, chairs and an LSU tent – when someone stole his belongings from the back of his truck. “He came back [from the game], and it was all gone,” Hardy said. “He was kind of speechless. It’s just wrong to do.” Brian Donald, theatre junior, said one of his friend’s parents had about $100 worth of ice chests, LSU flags and other items stolen during a game. “They didn’t expect it to happen,” Donald said. “They wouldn’t have left it there if they thought it was going to get stolen. Everybody leaves stuff around, so I guess they were just mad it was theirs.” He said he thinks the thieves were probably fans from the opposing team who were drunk. David Coffey, agricultural business junior, said he was returning from a football game this past year when he noticed a stranger taking down his friend’s tailgate tent. He said he realized the stranger was stealing the tent and after scaring the thief off, a friend called the police to investigate the matter. He said despite having seen such theft firsthand, he thinks it is not a problem on campus because people mostly only take a few beers. “I think half the people are drunk, not really caring at the time,” Coffey said. “They just see an ice chest, so they open it up and see beer. And they just take it. But I think this happens anywhere, [not just at LSU.]” Rabalais said fans can prevent having their belongings stolen by securing their property before entering the stadium, instead of assuming it will be there when they return. Hardy said if fans do not take the extra step of securing their belongings in their cars before games, they should have a friend watch over the tailgate. “Most people are just going to leave their stuff out,” Hardy said. “But if you are going to do that – if you’re going to go to the game – you should have somebody stay and hang out just to make sure nobody steals stuff.”
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