NCJ Number
191867
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 68 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 66,68-69,71,73
Date Published
October 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses alcohol enforcement efforts and problem-oriented policing in a university setting.
Abstract
Durham, NH, has a population of approximately 10,000. It is home to the University of New Hampshire and 14,000 students. Experimentation with alcohol dominates the students' social scene, and excessive use of alcohol is a major community issue. A community-police partnership was formed to identify and discuss mutual concerns, which include community complaints about noise, the relationship of police with the fraternity/sorority system, business and community frustration with rowdy behavior, and the perception that the police should be more effective. The police designed a response that would deal with enforcement, prosecution, and development of personal relationships between students and the police. The response included: (1) physical arrest for alcohol violations; (2) parental notification; (3) Adopt-a-Cop program, where each fraternity and sorority was offered the opportunity to adopt a police officer in the role of mentor and advisor; and (4) Seacoast Alcohol Task Force, an alliance of police departments in the seacoast region of New Hampshire that focuses on initiatives such as compliance checks of businesses that sell alcohol, high visibility patrols during community festivals, and plainclothes surveillance of businesses suspected of selling alcohol to underage persons. Figures