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Alcohol violations spike after new patrol policy
Published: Monday, October 6th, 2008
The number of liquor-law violations reported on campus increased sixfold from 2006 to 2007, according to the 2008 Annual Security Report released by Public Safety last week. The report also showed a slight increase in forcible sexual offenses reported on ...(back to the article)
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I agree that the way public safety chooses to identify and pursue alcohol violations has gone way overboard recently. I have personally experienced several situations (and heard anecdotally of many more) where totally innocuous and pretty quiet gatherings of friends have been busted before 11pm for being parties serving alcohol to minors, regardless of whether the officers had any proof of this. The policy of having public safety officers roaming the hallways looking for these situations seems like a ludicrous waste of manpower, and to try and locate dangerous drinking anywhere away from the street is a waste of time anyway.
The solution is to not open the door when Public Safety comes knocking. In that case they can ask you to keep the noise down, but unless they have probable cause to suspect underage drinking is going on (such as walking outside with a beer) or the door is left open, they can't actually come in to bust people, which is ridiculous in itself. One would hope that public safety would have better things to do, but apparently not.
If you aren't getting charged criminally with an offense, consider yourself lucky. I'm all for small gatherings, but Public Safety is just doing their job.
And sneering at idiotic rules and regulations is everyone's job.
The powers that be at PU are the ones that told Public Safety to get out into our hallways. Plain and simple. They are just following orders.
The proliferation of Ivy students who see themselves as immune to and/or above the law while in college never ceases to amaze.
I know it's a tough concept for Ivies to gasp, because typically you've been told how above-average and special you are your whole lives.
But really. You're not.
Yet another instance of Public Safety becoming drunk with their newfound powers. The main issue lies with the inferiority complexes of the officers. They know they are not "real cops" and they know that the kids they are busting are far more intelligent and far more accomplished than they ever will be. They may have police badges, but busting spoiled teens for having room parties is not what real cops do. Real cops patrol the streets of Trenton. PSafety deserves the utmost contempt.
(1) Violations actually have increased
(2) Violations have stayed the same, but more of them have been discovered
...which is it?
The Administration is taking a stance against room parties because room parties are home to more dangerous (hard liquor)and unregulated drinking than eating clubs. While the whole concept of monitoring eating clubs by p-safe officers is moot since they are off-campus, one should also realize that the bouncers and officers at the clubs make sure that no student gets 'too drunk'. In fact, a lot of people in the administration share this view; they realize that most cases of hospitalizations related to drinking stem from drinking at room parties and that's why they are trying to get people out of their rooms and go to the street. A completely understandable policy from their point of view. Of course, the fact that it infringes on some of the students' liberties is a completely different story.