2008 Woodie Awards
Campus police aim to cut back underage drinking
By Cassidy Garvin
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News
"People believe that that's the norm, and they forget that they're there for an education," Brown said. "They're away from their parents for the first time, and they make that decision to drink underage, and they have to face the consequences."With his experience, the greatest number of underage drinking incidents occur in off-campus student housing.
Bobby Kissell, a 19-year-old business marketing major, shares the popular belief that campus police officers are searching for underage drinking rather than stumbling upon it because of a greater cause.
"A lot of people do it, and get caught," Kissell said.He said that the police are driving around looking for underage drinking and they should not be able to.
Kiseell said that during his freshman year, he was influenced by exposure to alcohol in Patterson Hall.He also noticed CAs patrolling the halls in ways that seemed to be intrusive. Kissell said some of the residents complained of CAs sniffing around doorways where they suspected consumption of alcohol.
Kissell also believes that this was over the line as far as the CA's jurisdiction went.
"Being a past resident of Patterson Hall, I was exposed to many situations where the police unfairly suspected students of underage drinking. There were police there every day," Kissell said.
Windy Stafford, chief of University Police, said a lot of the police office's calls come from the community assistants in the dormitories.
Compared to last year's 140 cases of underage drinking that were reported through mid-October 2006, 114 cases have been reported so far this semester.
"We're not out to get anyone, we're out to keep people safe," Stafford said.
She explained that they are out patrolling for any type of violation, not just alcohol violations.
The university has a zero-tolerance policy regarding underage drinking, and the police's job is to enforce that policy, Stafford said. While they are patrolling, if they come across someone lying on the ground or stumbling, they have the obligation of making sure that person is OK. If that leads to an alcohol citation, then it was not the intention of the officers to look for underage consumption, she said.
Bobby Kissell, a 19-year-old business marketing major, shares the popular belief that campus police officers are searching for underage drinking rather than stumbling upon it because of a greater cause.
"A lot of people do it, and get caught," Kissell said.He said that the police are driving around looking for underage drinking and they should not be able to.
Kiseell said that during his freshman year, he was influenced by exposure to alcohol in Patterson Hall.He also noticed CAs patrolling the halls in ways that seemed to be intrusive. Kissell said some of the residents complained of CAs sniffing around doorways where they suspected consumption of alcohol.
Kissell also believes that this was over the line as far as the CA's jurisdiction went.
"Being a past resident of Patterson Hall, I was exposed to many situations where the police unfairly suspected students of underage drinking. There were police there every day," Kissell said.
Windy Stafford, chief of University Police, said a lot of the police office's calls come from the community assistants in the dormitories.
Compared to last year's 140 cases of underage drinking that were reported through mid-October 2006, 114 cases have been reported so far this semester.
"We're not out to get anyone, we're out to keep people safe," Stafford said.
She explained that they are out patrolling for any type of violation, not just alcohol violations.
The university has a zero-tolerance policy regarding underage drinking, and the police's job is to enforce that policy, Stafford said. While they are patrolling, if they come across someone lying on the ground or stumbling, they have the obligation of making sure that person is OK. If that leads to an alcohol citation, then it was not the intention of the officers to look for underage consumption, she said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 28
Angie Manfull
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:40 PM EST
I have a comment on the sitations that the police give at Slippery Rock. My son was cited for underage possession after driving an intoxicated 23 year old to a bar where he purchased beer. (Continued…)
John
posted 10/19/07 @ 6:47 PM EST
The police definitely do go out of there way to look for people who are drinking, we all know it. It's really sad that they don't fight real crimes. We live in a place with one of, if not the, highest drinking age in the world. (Continued…)
Angie
posted 10/20/07 @ 2:45 AM EST
I am sorry if I offended you officer, Phill. I don't see anywhere in my post that I said my son wouldn't take his punishment or that I was trying to blame it on someone else. (Continued…)
Phil
posted 10/22/07 @ 3:49 PM EST
Angie, just because someone doesn't know the law doesn't mean they don't have to follow it. Ignorance isn't an excuse and maybe you should have explained to your son before he came to college all the points of alcohol. (Continued…)
Phill
posted 10/22/07 @ 7:34 PM EST
John, seriously, we all know it's against the law. We may not agree with it, but it's like that all over the country. Of course the cops are going to watch for something they know is going on, that's how they get funds and frankly that's what their job is, to respond when the law is broken. (Continued…)
David
posted 10/23/07 @ 12:28 AM EST
I have a few comments in reguards to this article. It is obviously previlent that the University Police are out looking for crimes being commited! Underage drinking is a huge target! It is stated in the article "Brown said that he had to have more policemen patrolling on certain nights because of the frequency of underage drinking. (Continued…)
Steve
posted 10/29/07 @ 9:42 AM EST
First off, the campus police and borough police violate the rights of students all the time. The whole concept of "disorderly house" is completely ridiculous. (Continued…)
Elana
posted 11/01/07 @ 9:46 AM EST
I have been a CA now for two years, and I just wanted to give my two cents. We don't necessarily "look" for trouble. If anything, we're hoping we don't find any. (Continued…)
ashley
posted 11/01/07 @ 10:53 PM EST
I feel the same way, that the police are just looking for the underage drinking. With out being intoxicated, people are driving around campus like freaking idiots. (Continued…)
Becky
posted 11/07/07 @ 2:33 PM EST
I agree wholeheartedly with Elena and Phill.
Underage drinking is against the law - no one can argue that point. The University police and Borough Police, as well as the CAs have an obligation to protect residents, not just of Slippery Rock University, but also of Slippery Rock in general. (Continued…)
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