More student arrests in Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - It was another busy weekend for Amherst Police.

For the second weekend in a row, the department has made numerous arrests involving students, and those who live around them say it's affecting their way of life.

“It seems like it happens every year when they come back.  But it doesn't stop in the beginning of the year, it continues all year through. And it hampers the lifestyle of a lot of people that live around here,” said Jan Gillis who lives in South Amherst. 

Gillis has lived in South Amherst since 2001.  She says that her house is located on what used to be a dirt road, but it's been developed.  “Since I've been here, there have been nine houses built on that street, and a lot of them are rented to students,” said Gillis in Amherst Monday afternoon.   

Amherst Police say that since Labor Day weekend more than 50 students have been arrested and close to 80 have been cited for alcohol and noise violations. Some residents believe it’s a reality that comes with the territory as Amherst is a college town.  Meanwhile others say it's not representative of the student community.

Tullio Inglese has worked as an architect in Amherst for 40 years and often hires students as interns.  He says the nightlife led him to move away from the town.

“And everyone said ‘it's a rite of passage for these students to be drinking here and walking around at 3 o'clock in the morning.’ But their rite of passage was right under my bedroom window.  Police are justified in arresting them and they are maybe unruly but it's still a small minority of the students,” said Inglese. 

Many of the arrests happened during off-campus parties.