Before the ASU football team takes the field against Portland State University on Sept. 4, the ASU Police Department is taking the offensive against another opponent: underage drinking.
ASU Police will form a "youth alcohol enforcement squad” on the day of the game, which ASU Police spokesman Cmdr. Jim Hardina said will target student tailgating and drinking.
"This is specific to students tailgating in the halls and drinking around campus before the games," Hardina said.
University rules stipulate that tailgating may occur in parking lots and structures within three and a half hours of kickoff, and Arizona law requires individuals to be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol.
Targeting underage drinking at football games is the third alcohol enforcement project started by ASU Police since the start of the fall semester. A DUI task force was recently formed among ASU Police, Tempe Police and other agencies, and an undercover operation between ASU Police and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office began Aug. 19 to crack down on underage drinking in residence halls.
Hardina said ASU Police, Tempe Police, the Department of Public Safety and other local agencies work together during home football games to manage any problems in the area, whether they are related to traffic, alcohol violations or other situations.
As with previous years, Tempe Police and the Department of Public Safety will be in charge of managing traffic, Hardina said, and a bike squad comprised of officers from Tempe and ASU Police will deal with any problems related to tailgating.
Starting Sept. 4, however, ASU Police will have a sergeant and three officers manage underage drinking enforcement efforts before games, in addition to all other police activity related to football games, Hardina said.
"What you have is a lot of students coming in to the game drunk already, or drinking outside the stadium," Hardina said. "That's what we're going after."
Marketing junior Matt Bodmer, 20, said he wasn't sure if the new underage drinking enforcement squad at football games was a good idea.
"The police manpower could be used on things that are more important," Bodmer said. "Drinking and going to football hasn't caused major problems at the games, and I think these four officers could be used for prevention of crimes that are actually taking place."
Hardina said the first game against Portland State will be the "experiment," in which the squad will determine what locations need underage drinking enforcement.
"Once kickoff happens, the theory is that we're not going to have to worry about the tailgating because it'll be over," Hardina said. "We're going to go inside the stadium and find the kids who put the shots inside their cargo pockets and those kinds of things."
Following the first game, if police find that underage drinking is actually taking place at fraternity houses or in residence halls during the games, then that's where the police focus will shift, Hardina said.
The squad will also change its tactics based on what opposing team comes to Tempe, he said.
"When you play NAU, that's a whole different environment than games against Oregon and Stanford," Hardina said. "In the afternoons with big Pac-10 games, we'll just have to adapt as we go through the season."
Mechanical engineering senior Michael Gresen, 21, said the new tailgating enforcement is a “lost cause.”
“As long as people are in control, there’s no need for extra law enforcement,” Gresen said. “Whether you’re 21 or not, students shouldn’t be afraid [of police]. They should have a good time, even if they’re not drinking.”
Reach the reporter at mhendley@asu.edu
