By Edward Cen
In an effort to prevent underage drinking, Northeastern Police (NUPD) have seized over 1,000 cans of beer from underage students on campus. As a result of NUPD’s crackdown, over 100 students have been reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) in the past three weeks.
Associate Director of Public Safety James Ferrier said through “Operation Alcohol Interdiction,” their plan “is to seize the alcohol before it is illegally consumed, thereby preventing people from the ill effects of alcohol.”
Sergeant Detective James Casinelli said teams of officers have been dispatched along the east side of the Fens and the complexes along Columbus Avenue seeking out individuals who appear to be suspicious or carrying large amounts of alcohol.
Ferrier said freshmen and sophomores were most often caught with alcohol, and the excessive consumption of alcohol by students has become a serious issue in terms of both student health and quality of life in the neighborhood.
During the first full weekend of the fall semester, approximately 60 students were intercepted by the NUPD, who confiscated thousands of dollars worth of alcohol. About 10 of the students, all over the age of 21, will be criminally charged with procuring alcohol for minors, Ferrier said.
Although many freshmen have been written up for partying, some believe the crackdown is in students’ best interests.
“I feel that the cops are doing their job by protecting students,” freshman communications major Christine Barnes said. “I think that they need to keep the campus safe, and if there is a problem in a dorm or on the streets, the cops have every right to go up and question and check the situation out. But if nothing wrong is happening, I don’t think the cops should even bother getting involved.”
Late Saturday evening, NUPD broke up a fraternity party on Hemenway Street, according to a freshman eyewitness.
“They had a couple of kegs, people were dancing around to some music and so when the cops showed up, everybody kind of freaked out. They told everybody to get out; I wasn’t sure if they were taking names,” said Ross, a freshman engineering major who requested his last name not be printed in fear of punishment from the university.
The student escaped by hiding on the fourth floor until police left, and said police were still waiting for people to filter out when he eventually left the party.
“It really sucks, but I can understand it … things go crazy. I kind of wish you had more freedom to have fun,” he said.
Ferrier said police will continue to patrol the campus for the next several weeks looking for underage students in possession of alcohol. He said he hopes students are beginning to get the idea that police are serious about the consequences of alcohol.
In light of the crackdown, Ed Klotzbier, vice president for student affairs, said in an e-mail, “It’s no secret that drinking among college students is a serious national problem. We care about our students and are deeply concerned about excessive drinking and hope to encourage more healthy and responsible choices regarding alcohol.
Underage and binge drinking can lead to devastating consequences, including poor academic performance, arrest, probation and possibly separation from the university. It is important for our students to make good choices for the sake of their safety, health and overall success at Northeastern.”
