A proposed alcohol ordinance that would allow police to enforce underage drinking laws on private property was not on the Princeton Borough Council agenda last night as intended.
Mayor Marvin Reed said discussion of the ordinance has been postponed until February to allow more time for input and involvement of students, who are about to enter winter break and exam period.
While nearby towns like Ewing, Lawrence and West Windsor passed the ordinance after only a few months of deliberation, the Princeton Borough Council has not officially discussed it before the full council.
Since the New Jersey legislature passed a law in June 2000 that would make adoption of the ordinance possible, Borough officials have met with University representatives, eating club presidents and area alcohol abuse experts to find to best method for combating dangerous drinking.
The current drinking laws prohibit underage alcohol consumption on public property and serving alcohol to minors, but police cannot arrest minors on private property. Under the proposed ordinance, police could issue summonses to underage drinkers if officers are there for another purpose, such as a fire alarm or a noise complaint.
A violation would incur a fine of $250 for the first offense and $350 for the second offense, in addition to possible suspension of driving privileges.
The ordinance has raised a number of concerns among University and Borough officials.
The University's primary fear is that the ordinance would discourage students from seeking medical attention for excessive alcohol consumption.
Treatment at McCosh Health Center is confidential and does not usually result in legal ramifications.
Though the Borough Council is aware of the University's concerns, "the Borough will do what it wants to do — period," said Pam Hersh, director of community and state affairs. "They've been talking to us for years about the drinking problems on this campus. Whether they decide to pass the ordinance is up to them. They will deal with this issue in the way they feel is best."
Many students fear that the passage of the ordinance would lead to police raids on the eating clubs. However, Tim Szostek '02, Inter-Club Council adviser, said the ordinance would have a greater effect on individual students than on the eating clubs.
"The clubs are opposed to the ordinance only because they're concerned about safety, and they think that if it were passed, it would lead to a dangerous drinking environment on campus," he said.
Nevertheless, Szostek added, "this would definitely give police a tool for coming after the eating clubs."
On Nov. 14, a representative from the Mercer County prosecutor's office met with members of the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance and answered questions about the ordinance.
Szostek, several club presidents and University health officials have been active in PADA discussions, analyzing the pros and cons of the ordinance's possible passage.
"The concerns that we have are the same concerns that the Borough residents have about their own children," Szostek said. "It has been very useful for the clubs to be involved in these discussions because many town residents have misconceptions about the clubs and what they are for."
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